A/N : This story takes place two years after the previous chapter. (OK, a little AdDek squee. I'm sorry, I can't resist. LOL)
Addison ran a hand through her redhair as she stiffened a yawn, her fluffy slippers dragged lazily down the stairs as she descended down to the living room. She rubbed her eyes, glancing up to the clock hanging on the white wall. 6am. she thought, heading towards the kitchen for coffee. As she neared it, a delicious fragrance travelled into her nose. I hope it isn't trout. she prayed. Her husband was not in bed beside her when she woke up. The side of his bed was cooled, indicating that his body had left it long before she was conscious.
She breathed in again, the sweet aroma of honey in the air. At that, she smiled. Pancakes. she had guessed, and her guess was confirmed when she reached the doorway of the kitchen. She leaned against the side of the wall, watching her husband flipped the pancakes professionally with the pan. He had definitely not noticed her, too engrossed in his cooking.
Between the two, Derek was definitely a better cook, and a more willing one, definitely. He had woken up half an hour earlier than his wife and headed straight down to the kitchen, preparing to surprise her with breakfast in bed. In another pan, strips of bacon was sizzling among the oil. With another hand, he picked up the pan gracefully and shook it, allowing the bacon to shift, flipping them to the other side before they get burnt. Addison smiled, pushing herself off the wall as she made her way softly to her husband, startling him when she wrap her arms around his waist.
"Good morning." she mumbled, snuggling onto his back. Derek's muscles stiffened at the touch, but was out of shock. Then, he relaxed, feeling his wife's face buried into his back as her arms hooked around his waist. He laughed.
"Morning to you too, sleepyhead. Coffee's in the pot." he said, tossing the done pancakes onto a white plate. "I was going to surprise you with breakfast in bed but looks like I was too slow." Addison tightened her arms around his waist, shaking her head against his body.
"I don't want coffee." her words slurred, she smiled, breathing in the familiar scent of her husband. Derek switched the fire off the stove and wiped his hands on his apron, turning around to face Addison, now with her head buried into his chest.
"You don't want coffee? You?" he asked, grabbing the plate off the grill, starting towards the dining table. "Breakfast's ready, and I need to move to get the plates on the table, honey." he told her. But she refused to budge. "I don't want breakfast either, Derek." she said. He sighed, placing the plates down as he untied the apron at the back.
"You don't want coffee, you don't want breakfast." he repeated her sentence. "And all you want is to snuggle up to your husband's body that smells like fried oil." She laughed at that, releasing her arms around his waist and reached up to give him a peck on his lips. "I'll be right back." she promised.
"Aww, so soon?" Derek pouted playfully, pulling her back to his body by her waist before she could go wash up. She started to push him away but he held on, refusing to let go. "C'mon, babe. It's past six, we have to get to Seattle Grace at nine." Derek looked down to her with his blue eyes, mastering another pout that made her laugh. "We can always be late." he suggested. Addison raised an eyebrow, her body now sinking into Derek's, her fingers tracing the muscles of his arm. "You know you can't be late. We can't be late."
Derek sighed, his eyes drifting downwards. Addison lifted his chin up with a finger and gazed lovingly into his eyes. But when she was just about to promise him that they can do it another day, he lunged forward, pressing his lips onto hers forcefully, then soften, his lips part and deepening the kiss into a lusty one. At first against it, Addison struggled. But when his tongue brushed against her lips, she let out a soft moan of pleasure and gave in, her lips parted, her teeth grazing pass her husband's lips.
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Richard was sitting in their office when they arrived, both entering casually as he looked up. They have been in Seattle Grace for almost three years now and somehow, along the way, they've all agreed for the Shepherds to share an office, especially when they're bringing more staff in. Derek looked up, sharing a look with Addison to know that they both have saw their mentor in their office. Derek has been promoted to the Chief of Surgery, someone was brought in a new surgeon as the Head of Neurology. Addison, obviously, remained her position as the Head of the NeoNatal department. They shifted their things into Richard's old office and their previous office is now shared by the Heads of all surgical departments. Richard folded his arms in front of his chest as his eyes shfited back and forth between his two favourite students. And before either of them can open their mouths, he spoke up.
"You did not lose your way. Three years in Seattle Grace and you definitely did not lose your way." he said, his eyes on Derek, then shifted to Addison as he continued. "And you did not forget to set your alarm clock." He stood up, his eyes still following them as the two moved around the office, getting their things ready.
"Nothing to say? No excuses this time?" he pushed on, Addison looked up only to shoot him a glare. "I gave you the Chief of Surgery, Derek. The Chief of Surgery cannot be late for work, and I'm sure you understood that clearly when you took over my position." Derek looked up to him with a sigh.
"I'm the chief of surgery now, Richard. I do things my way, and if I have to be the first Chief of Surgery to actually have a real family life, then I will be." he said, shoving his jacket down into his bag. Addison pulled her long red hair into a bun, watching the exchange. And before Richard could come back with something to say, Derek cut him off.
"And unlike you, Richard, I actually have se"
"Oversharing." Richard warned, putting a hand up to Derek. But instead, Derek went on.
"I actually have sex with my wife." he said. "What are you doing here anyway? Aren't you retired?"
Richard gritted his teeth at the information, then sat down on the couch stubbornly at the question. "Fine. You have sex with your wife. No need to share" he said, then added under his breathe. "I'd rather have you coming up with stupid excuses."
At the other end of the room, Addison pulled out her lap coat and put it on, adjusting her collar before walking towards her husband casually, adjusting his from the back as he adjusted the sleeves to his coat.
"I came out here to check on how the hospital is functioning under you, Derek, and to give you kids a surprise visit." he explained. "And, I came here only to find that my chief of surgery did not report to work on time!"
Derek had to laugh at that, he reached out, placing his bag on the chair as he ushered Richard out on his way. "Relax, Richard. The hospital will not collapse under my watch." he reassured him. "Besides, do you think Addie will allow me to do that?"
"She allowed you to be late." Richard argued.
"She allowed me to have sex with her." Derek corrected. Richard stopped, looking back and forth to Derek, both had a smirk on their faces.
"You know what? I'm walking away right now."
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It has been almost 3 years since the day Addison walked in on her husband fauning over a younger woman, which happened to be months after the day Derek walked in on his wife cheating on him with his best friend. The walks with Meredith no longer existed, although Doc still lived under the same roof as the Shepherds. He refused to return to Meredith's house for mysterious reasons. The talk about how their marriage has fallen apart was not brought up, neither were the secrets that each spouse kept within themselves revealed. Sometimes, Derek looked back and wonder what life would be like if he had signed the divorce papers, and Addison wondered what life would be like if she had gone back to New York with Mark. Life for either of them would be very, very different, but towards the end of the wonderings, both often found themselves not regretting their choices. How did the vow go? "For better or for worse." Yes, and they are going through it.
Life is never a bed of roses, no marriages are smooth and calm, and true love is never sweet and easy. To get what you want, you need to work on it. Leaving it there isn't going to make any problem solve itself. It was the same for the Shepherds.
That night, for the first time in a long time, they called for pizza. The both of them snuggled up on the couch watching a video. Yes, Derek Shepherd's life as the Chief of Surgery was very different from that of his old boss, Richard Webber's. As Richard preferred to have everything under his watch, do everything himself, doublecheck ever paperwork just in case anything goes wrong, Derek chose to leave it all to his staff, putting his full trust in them, checking only once every one or two months just to put himself at ease.
Addison Shepherd leaned against her husband's chest as she bit into the cheesy pizza, his arm around her shoulder. She looked up to him with a smile. Catching her gaze, Derek smiled, planting a kiss on her forehead as his fingers rubbed gently against his shirt that she wore.
"Just a shirt?" Derek askedafter a silent moment of video-watching.Addison looked up at the question, a grin plastered on her face.
That night, everyone in the household was happy. Doc gets to finish up the rest of their food and lick up the sweet fizzy drinks spilled over the marbled floor. As for the married couple? Their squees would be heard by everyone in the neighbourhood--if they actually have a neighbourhood.