Disclaimer: Grey's Anatomy doesn't belong to me. Wish Patrick Dempsey did though!
Pairing: Derek/Meredith (of course!)
After an exhausting day at Seattle Grace, Derek Shepard and Meredith Grey walked upstairs to the bedroom like zombies. Neither of even bothered to undress, although Derek's shirt was unbuttoned. They pulled back the covers, and looked at each other as fatigue finally settled in.
On any other night, sex would be the first thing on their minds.
" You know we could just..."
"Sleep," Meredith finished as they both climbed wearily into bed.
"We could...yeah, if...if you want to."
Derek didn't want her to feel unwanted but tonight his only desire was a few hours of sleep.
"Yeah?" Meredith asked, as the corners of her mouth turned unto a lazy smile.
Derek collapsed onto the pillow and was instantly asleep.
"Oh, Thank God!" Meredith exclaimed as she drifted into slumber a few seconds later.
What's that saying?...Why do I keep hitting myself with a hammer? Because it feels so good when I stop.
As Meredith surrendered to her exhaustion, she started to dream.
She and Izzy were in the kitchen as they had been earlier that evening. Izzy was frosting a chocolate cake and going on yet another tirade about life as an intern was simpler for Meredith.
"You have their respect, without even trying and you're throwing that away...for what? A few good surgeries?"
"No." Meredith replied from where she was seated behind Izzy on the counter.
"It's not about the surgeries...And it's not about getting ahead..."
Izzy's expression was skeptical, "Well then what? A little hot sex? You're willing to ruin your credibility over that ? I mean Meredith, what the hell are you doing?"
Meredith rolled her eyes as crickets chirped outside the open kitchen window.
"Oh my God." Izzy's voice was filled with shock at a sudden revelation. "You're falling for him."
It was Meredith's turn to get defensive, "I am not."
"Oh, you so are." Izzy repeated in a somber tone.
"No, I'm not," Meredith replied as she rose from the counter and stood facing Izzy.
"It's just that he's just so..."
Meredith pushed her blonde hair behind her ears in frustration, "It's just that I'm...I'm having a hard time."
Izzy cut a large piece of chocolate cake and pushed it onto a plate in front of Meredith.
"Damn it, you poor girl. You're all mushy and warm and full of secret feelings."
Izzy sipped her tea and Meredith stabbed her cake violently with her fork, took a bite and swallowed and met Izzy's gaze.
"I hate you! And your cake!"
Then the dreamscape shifted and Meredith found herself on a gurney inside the hospital. Suddenly Meredith was surrounded by the faces of Christina, George, Izzy, Burke, and even Alex and Bailey.
As fear and adrenaline coursed through her veins, she realized that Derek's handsome face was missing from the blurred vision of the activity of the hospital.
Meredith found her voice and called out to him desperately. "Derek,where are you? Derek please!"
The sea of faces parted and Derek appeared standing over her wearing his surgeon's mask with the blinding hospital lights behind him.
Instantly comforted Meredith reached out for his hand but he pulled back, "I'm sorry, do I know you?"
Meredith inhaled sharply and then she felt Derek's familiar warm hands on her shoulders.
"Meredith...hey wake up, Meredith."
Meredith opened her eyes and found herself in bed with Derek right beside her. She couldn't see his face in the dark but she recognized concern in his voice.
"Meredith, you okay?"
She looked at Derek with his green eyes, tousled dark hair and stubbled cheeks and answered distractedly, "Yeah, I'm fine."
"Are you sure, cuz you seem not okay?"
"Yeah, it's just...I just had a nightmare."
She closed her eyes for a moment and sighed.
"It must have been some nightmare. You're shaking."
Meredith nodded but said nothing. Wordlessly Derek pulled the covers up around Meredith and lazily wrapped an arm around her.
"You want to talk about it?" he asked kissing her hair.
"No, sorry I woke you." She shifted closer to him in bed and rested her head on his shoulder.
"You know," he whispered against her neck. "I can think of a better way to wake up."
Meredith laughed as Derek rolled on top of her.
Izzy was right, she mused with a smile. I'm falling for him.
Finis