A/N: Welome back! I still get random reviews from time to time, encouraging me to update. So, even if this is the last banked chapter I have, I'm still gonna do it. Hopefully it will tide you over until the next one. Enjoy!

Chapter 21

Derek stares at the sealed envelope with his test results in apprehension, studying its texture closely.

It's a miracle that the results only took three days to get back to him, but he suspects it's because he was the only one taking the test in the first place.

Maybe Ellis Grey herself went over his mistakes and marked his results. The thought makes him shudder, because the first person he wants to tell about his test results is no other than Ellis' daughter.

Derek doesn't know if it's because Meredith helped him study or because he needs to kiss her senseless again, maybe finally figure out a moment to be really alone, without any David interruptions. He doesn't even know what they're doing beyond kissing, if they can even have a definition, but he wants to find her and open the envelope with her by his side.

Ridiculous? He's aware of that, but he can't help himself.

He's loitering out of her office, the envelope in his hands, a chart on his lap, pretending to work as he waits for Meredith. She had a surgery scheduled and she should be done any minute, so he hopes he can steal her from the busy hospital life for a bit. Maybe open the envelope and steal a kiss or two, that would brighten his day tenfold.

"Hey, Shepherd," a voice calls, and he turns to see Cristina Yang, a quizzical look on her face. "Is it true that you're now a resident?"

"Maybe," he says, brandishing the envelope with the results. "Can't bring myself to open this."

"Well, if your test was crap you're still an intern, right?"

"I guess." He shrugs.

"Then what's the problem?"

Her pager beeps, making Cristina huff. "Old man needs his tubes changed every other hour. Hope you're done with this bullshit soon."

She disappears before he can thank her for giving him perspective, and Derek remains sitting on the floor, fidgeting with the envelope in his hands.

When his eyes lift up again, Meredith is coming down the corridor and she looks wiped. He stands up and gathers his chart, trying to appear less of a hobo.

"Dr. Shepherd," she says, her tone flat and tired. She still manages to look beautiful, though.

"Dr. Grey, can I speak to you for a minute? In private?"

Meredith sighs, but her eyes soften. "Of course, Dr. Shepherd."

She opens her office for him and he gets in, as she closes the door with a soft click. Her office is quiet and cozy, and he smiles at how relaxing it looks. A little impersonal, he has to admit, but he can see traces of Meredith there.

Meredith gives him a look as she collapses on her chair, almost as if she's inviting him to sit as well. He keeps standing, though.

"Are you okay?" He feels compelled to ask, since she looks done for the day, and it's barely after lunch.

"Just a long surgery. It was touch-and-go for too long, but luckily the guy is gonna pull through."

"I'm glad," he murmurs, fidgeting with the envelope.

Meredith stares at him expectantly, knowing he's not there to check up on her.

"I have my intern test results," he blurts, and her eyes widen. "I can't bring myself to open the envelope."

Meredith gives him the very first genuine smile of the day. "It doesn't bite."

"Now you sound like my mom." Derek rolls his eyes, but so does Meredith, and they chuckle together.

"Derek, you'll be fine even if you haven't passed the test."

"I know, I just…"

"Yeah," she says, her smile soft again. Derek just wants to kiss her at this point, who cares about the results. "Open the envelope."

Derek sighs, then slides a finger under the upper flap, trying to rip the paper as carefully as possible. It crinkles loudly in the silence of the office, making the expectations grow. He takes out the sheet of paper and unfolds it slowly, reading each line as carefully as possible, his heart hammering in his chest.

"What does it say?" Meredith asks, now sounding like an impatient David.

"I made it. Ninety-seven percent of the answers correct." Derek's smile blooms, so does Meredith's.

"Congratulations!" she exclaims, then she wraps him in a tight hug.

At first, Derek just squeezes her as he would squeeze anyone else, but then they both loosen their grips and just stay wrapped in the embrace, enjoying the closeness.

The sense of empowerment and yet fear threatens to overwhelm him, but as long as Meredith is in his arms he's grounded; he knows he can't fail.

Meredith slides her nose in the crook of his neck and breathes him in, so Derek does just the same, going bolder and letting his lips touch her flesh. She shivers, nuzzling him, and her smile is imprinted on his chest.

"I knew you would ace it," she murmurs, and he can feel her breath seep through his scrub top. She's warm and soft against him, and he doesn't want to let go. She seems very reluctant to let go of him as well.

"I owe you one, Mere." She shakes her head and shrugs, but he doesn't let her. "I'm serious, you were a huge help. You kept me focused."

Meredith snickers. "Really? You spent half the time making dirty jokes. Or trying to seduce me."

Derek chuckles. "Well, I was still paying attention."

"Looks like it." Her giggle is melodious.

"Let me take you out to dinner and celebrate as a thank you."

She stiffens in his arms. "Derek, –"

"As friends. As my mentor." He's quick to clarify this, because he can see in her face how much it scares her to have a date with him. A real date. He thought he could bribe her with food and convince her it was a good idea, but she still needs boundaries.

Yet, he's not backing out.

"Please."

Meredith sighs as he stares at her, trying to convince her with a gaze. He can see her caving, but she's not quite there yet.

He begs her again, slightly pulling away from her, only to lunge forward and capture her lips in a kiss. She's stunned for a second, but she quickly becomes an eager participant right after.

It's a soft kiss, a beggar's kiss, slow and gentle. Derek knows he has dismantled all her resolutions when they pull away.

"That was cheating," she murmurs, licking her lips, her eyes shining with glee.

"I know. I perfectly knew what I was doing."

Meredith giggles, her eyes shimmering under the neon lights. "Fine."

"You're coming to dinner, then?"

"Tonight. And no fancy places."

Derek grins. "I know the perfect place you can show up in jeans and they won't mind."

"Okay then. Yes. But you're picking me up."

Derek laughs. "Of course. I'm still a gentleman, even if I'm not your date."

She smacks his shoulder and he keeps chuckling, interrupted only by her teasing kiss.

"Thank you, Mer."

She gives him a non-committal smile. "You promised food."

More laughter ensues.

Meredith stares at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, sighing. She doesn't like how her hair dried after her shower, and she's not entirely sure make up was a good idea. Well, it's light makeup, but it still feels like she's going on a date.

Which she kinda is.

They keep pretending it's not, but they're doing date-y things, so it could easily be labeled as a date. Much to her chagrin.

Dates don't end well in her book. They either end in a one-night-stand, when the guy just doesn't want to see her anymore, or they end before dessert. And dessert is her favorite part.

She's shaking in anticipation. If they don't get to the dessert with Derek, she's screwed. He's the only man who has even remotely cared about her since Finn – and she's not even sure Finn really cared in the first place. If she screws this up, she'll have to see him anyway, for David's sake, and it will be awkward at best. Yet, she doesn't want to put pressure on them and simply wants to get to know him, aside from being David's father or her intern-now-resident. She wants to know Derek Shepherd the man.

The man that brings her flowers when she opens the door for him.

"I should be the one giving you presents, Derek."

Derek laughs, even before saying hello. He says hello by kissing her quickly anyway, right there on her threshold.

Her old neighbor is gonna have a field day with this, if she's spying from the peephole.

"If I can unwrap you tonight, that will be enough of a present."

Her eyes widen, and he almost blushes, apparently caught off-guard by his own forwardness, too. She giggles at him, telling him that it's fine even without saying anything.

"It's not a date, so there are high chances of me remaining wrapped, Derek." She teases him, because they both know that they've been bolder and bolder in each kiss they have shared. It is fun to tease, though.

"A man can hope."

She giggles, studying the beautiful bunch of lavender and calla lilies, together with some greenery.

"David had some input in this. Apparently, I looked lost, so my mother gave me a shopping companion."

Meredith laughs. David clearly remembers her favorite scent, and it warms up her heart. She has no idea how or when it happened, but now she knows she loves that boy.

"Thank you, they're beautiful."

She puts the beautiful bouquet in a vase with water, then grabs her purse, checking if she has everything, before Derek leads her to his car.

Meredith marvels at how neat and clean it is, even with the booster seat in the back. She's not sure if he always keeps his car this clean or he just did the extra mile to please her; either way, she appreciates it.

The drive to the restaurant is punctuated by the mellow sounds of the radio and the softness of Derek's questions as he asks about her day and her surgery and her paperwork. She keeps up with the small talk, which strangely feels all that more meaningful when it's done with him.

When he parks, she recognizes the neighborhood, though she's never actually been to the restaurant they see glittering on the other side of the road.

"Before we go in, I need to tell you something." Derek's tone has a hint of apprehension, and she creases her brow. "This is the restaurant I used to work at, after I had David. I hope it's okay we're going there."

Meredith's heart warms up. "Of course. I've always wanted to come here."

She can almost see him breathe a sigh of relief and she smiles.

The cross the street and walk to the restaurant together. He's almost holding her hand, but he manages to keep an inch of distance, which she appreciates and hates at the same time. There are a lot of conflicting emotions in her head tonight.

When they walk inside, the hostess beams at them.

"Derek!" she blurts, her hazel eyes glittering in recognition. "It's so good to see you!"

"Hey, Carla, how are you?" Derek asks, hugging her briefly. "How's Mateo?"

"Growing up way too fast. He's already two. What about David?"

"Same. But also still the same rambunctious boy you remember, don't worry."

Carla laughs. "I didn't see your name on the reservation list."

"That's because I used Grey." He looks really smug of his trick, and luckily Carla rolls her eyes. "This is my co-worker and mentor Dr. Meredith Grey. We're celebrating my intern test. She helped me study and pass it."

"With flying colors, if I might say. Nice to meet you, Carla." Meredith adds, shaking the woman's hand. She has a gentle smile that Meredith likes very much.

Carla studies her, almost as if she's gauging the relationship between her and Derek, and it's almost as if she knows they're faking a non-date. Meredith blushes slightly, Derek is still oblivious, though.

Carla leads them to the far end of the restaurant, near the window, in a space that looks almost like a nook. They can see the waterfront from here, and she's loving all the twinkling lights and the ferryboats in the near distance.

"This is why you love ferryboats," Meredith blurts, as soon as they sit down.

Derek smiles. "Also because of this restaurant, yes."

Their server, Monty, greets Derek with a pat on the back and a complex handshake, and Meredith smiles as she sees him interact with the young man. Monty looks like a college student, and yet he's very attentive as he places the waters and menus in front of them. It feels like a formality, since Meredith is sure Derek can recite the menu by heart anyway.

"Derek, tell me something about you," she blurts, as soon as she has studied the menu long enough.

"What?"

"Something, anything. I feel like we always talk about me. And I can blabber when I want to so, yeah. Something about you. Like your grandparents' names or where did your spend your summer vacations as a kid. I don't even know your favorite color or flavor of ice cream, and I know that about your son! I feel like I know next to nothing about you."

He chuckles, but he seems to be thinking about it, and then they are interrupted by Monty taking their orders. Meredith is almost glad they did, because that sounded as if she were begging him, and she doesn't want to seem so desperate. She could have definitely phrased this one better.

"I don't have grandparents anymore, they all died before I was done with college. My mom's maiden name is Maloney. I have four sisters, nine nieces, and five nephews. I like coffee ice cream, single malt scotch, occasionally a good cigar; I like to fly-fish and I cheat when I do the crossword puzzle on Sundays. I never dance in public. Favorite novel: The Sun Also Rises; favorite band: The Clash. Favorite color is blue; I don't like light blue, indigo. See the scar right here on my forehead? That's why I don't ride motorcycles anymore. And –"

She feels tears come to her eyes. "Derek…"

"Too much?" He grins, his eyes sparkling.

"I wasn't trying to ambush you or anything, I just –"

"I get it, Mere. It's the reason why we're not calling this a date. We need time to get to know each other, and this is me, trying."

"Thank you," she murmurs, still overwhelmed.

She's beyond glad the food comes as soon as silence settles on their table. After that she's too engrossed to enjoy the delicious Italian delicacies to ask him about anything else.

"What do you think?" Derek asks, halfway through his plate of his pesto gnocchi.

"Do they deliver to Seattle Grace?" She laughs, teasing him. "I could eat this for the rest of my life and never get bored."

"Well, if they don't deliver, I can deliver." He looks shy when he says it, but his eyes have that glimmer in them that just about kills her every time. It's the glimmer that says that he wouldn't mind cooking for her for the rest of their lives, and it makes her shiver.

She lets the subject drop, trying to ignore how tight her chest is, and yet how warm and safe she feels at the same time. She should probably learn how to live with this feeling, because he seems to be a master in making her feel this way.

Derek seems to sense her mood shift because he starts telling her funny stories about his time at the restaurant, especially the ones involving David, to put her at ease again. It works on her like a charm, and it never marvels her how in tune he is with her. She wonders if learning how to read David taught him to read other people too.

"May I offer you some dessert?" Monty says, and Derek shares a look with her that makes her blush.

"Of course. I'm pretty sure I'm picking the coffee mousse, though. What about you, Meredith?"

Monty lists all the desserts they have tonight, apologizing that they ran out of apple pie; Meredith is not worried though, since she's undecided between the chocolate cake and the tiramisù.

"Derek?"

"I suggest the chocolate cake," he says, winking. "Izzie Stevens, one of the interns, keeps bribing me with surgeries to get her the recipe. It's that good."

Meredith almost salivates at the idea, and grins when she spots Monty nodding along Derek's statement. So she trusts Derek. "Then chocolate cake it is."

And when it gets there, looking fabulously covered and filled and made of chocolate, she's ready to cry. Chocolate cake is exactly what she needs tonight after her long surgery.

They'd better deliver this to her office, who cares how much it costs.

Meredith moans at the rich, decadent taste of the first morsel, and of course Derek laughs at her. She doesn't care though, she digs her way through the whole slice. And it's a big slice. Big enough that in spite of the marvel that is that cake, she can't eat anymore. She's stuffed.

"Thank you, Derek. This was probably one of the most delicious meals I've ever had."

Derek beams. "Thank you, for coming. These guys really know what they're doing."

"I can't believe you were one of them."

"Sometimes I can't believe it either."

Meredith smiles, figuring it's time for his present now. Honestly, she didn't want to give him anything, but when she walked by the hospital gift shop, it seemed to call her name.

She fishes out a square, silver box from her purse. It's slightly bigger than her hand, with a blue bow on it. Derek is almost blushing when he looks up.

"Meredith, –"

"Don't even start. This gift had your name on it."

Derek grins, slowly opening the box. He laughs when he picks out the first of the two similar objects.

"Scrub caps?"

Meredith smiles. "Yeah. Well, this one...it's kinda obvious why I picked it, isn't it?" she says, pointing at the one he's holding. The scrub cap is littered with all shapes of pasta on a dark blue background.

Derek laughs, looking around. It slowly fizzles out as he picks out the other item in the box.

"Ferryboats?" he murmurs, his eyes flickering for a moment at the real ferryboats out of the window.

"Yeah. I know you love them, also because they remind you of David."

"That's...I love these, Meredith."

"Maybe you'll have to wait until you're a little higher on the surgical food chain to wear those, but nothing can stop you from wearing them in the skills lab. Or playing pretend with David."

Derek smiles, touching both fabrics with reverence. "Thank you so much. You really didn't have to do this."

"I wanted to, just like you wanted to take me out to dinner. Or buy me flowers."

Derek smiles. "Fair enough."

Monty comes to clear the table and they reluctantly ask for the check. It's been one of the best nights of her life, and she doesn't want it to end now.

"Let's get coffee at my place," she proposes, and Derek smiles. "As long as you don't have to relieve a babysitter."

"Don't worry, David is with my mom. He was in kindergarten full time this week and I had a bit more free time after my test, so I think she was missing her grandbaby. She'd be happy to keep him a little longer."

Meredith smiles at that, too. She hasn't seen David in a couple of weeks, and she misses seeing him, too. Maybe he grew an inch or two since she last saw him, that's how long it feels like she has seen the boy.

She tries not to talk about David, though. She wants this night to be about Meredith and Derek.

After they've – well, Derek, really – paid their check, Derek makes a production of quickly introducing her to all the waiters, waitresses and kitchen staff. She can't stay long, since they're obviously busy, but she's glad she had the chance to meet Derek's old co-workers. She would love to get to know them better and figure out the person Derek was when he wasn't a surgeon.

They decide to take a quick walk along the waterfront before they head back to her place. She boldly grasps his hand in hers and doesn't let go. Derek looks delighted at the idea of walking hand in hand with her. He does like to show her off, even if she's not his girlfriend.

Maybe, after this beautiful evening, she should think about labels.

Not tonight though. Tonight she wants to be there, in the moment, with Derek.

The walk is quick, since the breeze from the marina is a little too strong for their light jackets, but they don't mind. They know the evening is far from ended.

The car ride is almost like a coffee moka for their emotions. The flame was low and burning for the entire length of dinner, but now the coffee is rising and spilling over, sputtering and steaming. That's why she pulls Derek into a kiss as soon as they've walked inside her apartment.

It reminds her of the very first time they had sex, but it feels so much different. The passion is still there, but there's something more as he pins her to the wall and keeps kissing her, his hands ready to explore.

"Meredith," he murmurs against her lips, as if this was his way to ask her permission, or gauge if he should stop. She kisses him even more deeply and sheds him of his jacket to tell him that he should definitely keep going.

They skip over the couch, but they linger for a while on the wall of the hall between the kitchen and her bedroom. She's pretty sure they're going to seal the deal here, but Derek only teases her into a frenzy that makes her knees wobble. Luckily, he's there to hold her up.

They're both naked by then, their clothes creating a trail from her front door to just a few steps behind them, and she's not sure what he's waiting for.

Almost to urge him along, she wraps her hand around him, while she keeps her other tangled in his hair. He grunts, kissing a trail down her neck, but he still doesn't ask for entrance.

"Derek. Der –"

He ignores her moans, using his own teasing fingers instead. When he's done with her, she cannot stand anymore. He's still tense and ready, so she revels in the knowledge that there's more coming for her.

"Bed. I wanna do this in bed," Derek says, his voice gruff but soft, tense with unreleased energy and self-control. His hips keep swaying against her thigh, almost as if all the self-control is slipping out of him.

She leads him to her bedroom and grabs a condom from her drawer before they can collapse in a heap of limbs over her sheets. Her bed is still unmade, but she couldn't care less. Heck, in this case it's almost more practical.

Derek lets her place the condom over him, and she does some teasing of her own. Derek's body is tense and he looks so focused his brow is already sweaty. Yet, he manages to regain control and pin her to the mattress, before he finally slides home.

And it does feel like home. Especially as soon as he stops to just stare at her, his burning gaze filling her just as much as his body.

"God," he grunts when he's unable to stand still anymore, his hips joining hers.

He starts a deep, slow rhythm that makes her breathless and touches her in all the right places. Yet, she's too far behind compared to him, after already coming undone twice against the wall. He tries speeding up his movements, but it only speeds up his release.

He grunts and groans and twitches over her, murmuring apologies against her skin. He keeps applying pressure to her favorite nerves though, as soon as he regains some semblance of control over his body, and she's quick to get to her peak again.

Derek lets her surf along the wave of oblivion for a while, minutes that feel like hours as she slowly loses control of her body. Even if he's slipped out of her, his fingers are still working and she can still feel him all over, connected to her. She flails and flails and flails, until she can finally get off the cliff, her third freefall so glorious it turns into a fourth thanks to Derek's persistence.

When she can breathe regularly again, they're both sprawled on her sheets, spent. Derek reaches to cradle her close, and she snuggles against him, her body barely responding to commands.

And this is the moment she loves, when they're in each other's embrace, the rest of the world falling away.

A/N: Well, is this how you envisioned this chapter to end? Me neither. These characters have a mind of their own.

I hope you've enjoyed this! Thank you for reading!