THE BLACK BOX
(this story is adopted from the Prom episode on which Addison found out about the panties in Derek's tux)
- I don't own anything here
"Too early." Stirring off the bed, Derek woke Addison up from her dream. She rubbed her eyes, adjusting to the dim light from the lampshade beside her. "I have to go to the hospital." He put his coat on, rushing to get out of the trailer, leaving Addison alone again. She watched her husband stormed off, flinched a little bit when she heard him driving away.
From the corner of her eyes, she spotted the tuxedo he wore from last night's prom.
"You look handsome."
"Thank you. You're ravishing."
Dolled up with Cabernet Sauvignon satin backless dress that accentuated her curves. Plunging neckline, screamed for passionate affection. Lips painted with a goddess blood, and hair tangled into a messy bun. No wonder eyes were following her direction.
"I'm feeling the harmony of the music, you're welcome to join." He offered his hand, matching it with a hopeful smile. Bringing back the memory when he asked her to dance with him under the rain, on an open space at the Columbia University. "I'd love to."
Right hand resting on her back, thumb rubbing her silky skin. His left holding her right, as they slow danced to Lover.
/Can I go where you go
Can we always be this close
Forever and ever/
As the song continued to play, he saw a familiar eyes of fresh air, staring at him with hundreds of intentions. Making him drop her hand in the middle of moment, excusing himself to check on a patient.
Addison took the tuxedo and put it on, to ease the feeling of loneliness. She wasn't held by her husband last night, and as she fell back asleep, she curled herself like a ball, pretending the tux she was wearing as Derek's presence.
~
"You're glowing. Oh my god, you're glowing. Did Derek hit you good last night? I saw you left the prom earlier so I'm guessing you get laid." Callie Torres pulled Addison to the hallway, needing to know the reason behind the impeccable glow Addison radiated. "We did not do the thing you're thinking." With a pursed lips, Addison raised her eyebrows, letting her friend know to drop the ball. He didn't even kiss me goodnight. "Fine. But I'm not gonna lie, you stood out last night. You were actually the centre of attraction." I hope my husband sees me too.
"Dr. Shepherd, a baby was found in a school's bathroom bin." At that moment, Addison was thanking Alex silently for showing up, to avoid Callie's interrogation and all. "I have to go. Talk to you later, Cal." She fixed her lab coat and walked before Alex, like the boss she is. "Who's the mother, Karev?"
"I don't know. No one's answering. The baby was found by a couple of teenagers." With her skilful fingers and huge brain, Addison saved the little boy's life. "He's too little. I need to talk to the girls. Can you stay here with him?"
"I'll be right here, Dr. Shepherd." Addison nodded, trusting Alex.
On her way to the waiting area, Derek bumped onto her, but didn't bother to say sorry. He just looked at her for a second. "Are you okay, Derek?"
"Why would I not be?"
Throwing questions wasn't an Addison and Derek thing. "I'm just making sure that you are. What time are you gonna be home?"
"I have a couple of surgeries to finish until 6. By then, I'm free." A smile creeped on the corner of Addison's lips. "Great." She released a deep breath she didn't know she was holding. "Can you…can I ask you a request?" Addison never asked Derek a request. It's always been a favour, like order takeouts, or back massage. "Let's recreate May 22, 2003." The date. "Why?" Because I wanna know how it feels like to be happy, genuinely happy…again somehow. "Please? Derek?"
"I'll let you know. I have to go Addison."
It's just a yes or no. Maybe his 'yes' isn't for me anymore.
She stayed in her office the whole time, unless she was being paged for urgent matters. Head's on the palm of her hands, thoughts were flying around the corner as the time flew for the sun to set. She flinched when her door suddenly opened, Derek was on the other side of the door, hands in his pocket. "I moved the surgeries for tomorrow. For you." Should I feel thankful? But why do I feel like I am his obligation? "Are you ready?" Are we really gonna do it? "I am." Maybe. "Is that why you wore jeans?"
Yes, she wore a washed denim skinny jeans and beige chiffon blouse, her hair was tied in a ponytail, tho the red sole pumps were still there to complete the look.
"I don't feel like dressing as Addison Forbes Montgomery today." She looked at him with glimmering eyes, but there was no reaction from him. "I'm just gonna go to the washroom. Meet you at the lobby?"
"Come on."
Silently, they walked out from Addison's office, only to meet by Meredith Grey at the nurses station. She glanced at her husband, noticed him look away from the blonde's direction. Atmosphere was heavy due to the rising tension. "Are you two okay?" She-Shepherd broke it. Derek and Meredith looked at her, saying "Yeah." They both look— "I'll wait for you at the lobby." He continued, walking away from an awkward situation that already caught him— guilty. Addison nodded, and as she was walking towards the bathroom, she heard her yell her husband's name. Her body stiffened, paused for a while to watch Meredith run after Derek. That was something the hospital had seen multiple times, including herself. But today, it was different.
Setting all the doubts and negative emotions aside, Derek and Addison walked to the parking lot where a motorcycle was parked. "Really? Where'd you get this?" The surprise on Addison's face was burning. "Yang's. I traded with a surgery." Derek shrugged, keeping the smile creeping off from his lips. He pulled Addison closer, then carefully put the helmet on her head safely. "You ready?" Addison mounted the motorcycle and held tightly onto Derek's body by wrapping her arms around it. "Let's go!"
"Was that Dr. Addison Shepherd riding a motorcycle?" Izzie asked with amusement on her face. "With Derek Shepherd. Yeah." Alex agreed, stuffing chips on his mouth. "He borrowed my motorcycle in exchange with a cool surgery." Cristina smirked, following the Shepherds' direction, while Meredith was just sitting there in silence, watching the couple drove away on the streets of Seattle.
Back on the year 2003, Derek and Addison stole Mark's bike just to roam around the streets of New York. Mark wasn't aware that the two took his bike, that he even called 911 because he thought there was a robbery happened.
"We cannot go to The Hamptons right now tho." Derek stated, removing Addison's helmet. "That's fine." As long as I'm with you. "I'll spread the blankets." And also, there was a basket of sandwiches, chips, wine and water guns. "So we won't have to barrow some kids' toys." They did have a water fight with some random kids at the Central Park when a little boy accidentally shot Addison. It was one of their best days as married couple, when none of them became so busy to the point that one of them needed to beg for attention.
Shoes outside the blanket, Addison sat down with her legs crossed, inviting Derek to lay his head on her lap. It was peaceful, like they used to. He looked at her looking somewhere far, he knew… "There's something you're not telling me Addison." He broke her trance, eyes met in the middle. "Do you want me to feed you chips?" And it was a smile with a different message. "No." Derek sat up. "I'll feed you." He took out the food, and the two ended up feeding each other. I'm not sure when is this going to happen again, but I'm sure that today's worth it.
"By the way, I also got us a Polaroid." Derek showed a pastel blue Polaroid. It's new. "Come on, pose for me Addie." And then he spotted lost flowers from a distance. "Oh wait. Hold on." He rushed to pick a beautiful yellow flower—a daisy. "Let's put this here." He carefully tucked the flower on Addison's left ear. Her giggle melted his guilty heart. "Okay honey, pose for the camera." Addison couldn't help but to smile wide, posing for Derek in front of the Polaroid. " I have the most beautiful wife." He couldn't take his eyes off of the printed photo. Addison just stared at him, she wanted so bad to touch his face but— "Hey, it's not fair that you're only taking pictures of me. Your turn, Dr. Shepherd." She took the Polaroid from him. "Now smile for me." Derek shook his head, pulling up his seductive smirk that Addison loves. "I have the most handsome husband."
"We can keep those. So we can have something to show to our kids." Addison tensed, felt like there was a bomb exploded inside her head as the deafening thought of them grew stronger. She didn't answer him, not because she didn't know what to reply, but because she didn't want to. "Come on. It's the most awaited, part of this day." Derek brought out the water guns. "The water is coloured, you'll be shooting me blue, and I'll be shooting you—" He suddenly shot Addison on the face. " Red."
She gasped, wiping the liquid off her face. "You did not—"
"Well, I just did." He shot her again on the chest this time, before running away from her. "I'll get you, Derek!" And then she followed, shooting him on his back also. They were such kids, so young, free, happy and in love. Laughters were echoing on Seattle's atmosphere, they escaped away from reality even just for a couple of hours. "Alright. I have no water." Addison pants, sitting back down the blanket. "And I'm tired running." Derek sat down beside her, wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulled her closer then kissed her temple. "You look like a mess." He joked. "You look like a mess too." She answered back with an idea at the back of her head. She took the Polaroid and together, they made silly poses, yet they still looked good. Beautiful messes.
"I'm gonna go to the hotel first to get something, then I'll meet you at the trailer."
"We can stay at the hotel tonight. I'm gonna get some clothes first." Her face of are you sure? faintly painted, that only he could notice. "I'll bring Chinese too if you want."
"Yeah. That'll be great." Addison took a deep breath before moving away from Derek to put everything in the basket. "We should go, Cristina have to go home too you know." She blew the strands of her hair, falling down her face. "It's gonna be 24hrs, but yeah. We should." Derek took the basket from Addison then tied at the back of Cristina's motorcycle before locking the helmet on Addison. Their afternoon was well spent, reminiscing the date when Addison had ridden a motorcycle for the first time in her life, and it was with the love of her life.
Addison drove straight to the hotel after getting all the things she needed from her office, Derek on the other hand went straight to his trailer to get clothes for the night, for he will be spending it with Addison at the Archfield Hotel. He spotted the already washed tux hanging at the back of his trailer's door. She washed our clothes? But he shrugged the idea away, because he was too focused to sleep on a nice bed—he likes his bed, but for tonight, he's in much need of more comfortable one.
Derek fulfilled his promise, he brought Chinese takeouts for dinner. The two were sitting on the bed, looking at the photos they took with their Polaroid. "You look so happy here." He commented to that particular photo. Addison was laughing so hard, he could hear her laughter on the photo. "Well I am." Her eyes watered when she looked at it, purring… "Thank you, Derek."
"You don't have to thank me."
"You made me happy— again. You made me forget about the…" unbearable pain and betrayal. "…busy schedule and my headache."
"I'm glad to be on your service." He pulled her closer by the waist, kissing her temple. "You look sleepy. Ready to sleep?"
"Yeah. I think I am." She gave Derek a closed smile. I want to be awake until the sun rises. I just want to stare at your face all night. But I can't— "Let's go to sleep then Addie. We have an early day tomorrow." He captured her chin with his fingers, before capturing her lips with his, brushing slightly before giving in for a passionate sweet kiss. Eyes were closed, soft lips tangling with each other, sugar turned to salt? "You're crying." He pulled away, worry was evident in his eyes. "What's wrong Addison? Tell me." How am I supposed to tell you that— "Nothing. I just—do it again. Kiss me again Derek." Like the way you used to kiss me under the rain, like when we were stupid and young. Like you still mean it. Like you're still in love with me. Addison said it like more of a favour she could return, and Derek gladly obliged. Soon, both of their warm bodies were under the duvet sheet. His arm draped on her waist, but it wasn't enough. "Please hold me Derek." Hold me tight like you're afraid to let me go.