A/N: Sorry for my tardiness, but I'm really frustrated with this site right now. This chapter was going to be posted a week earlier, but for some reason, every time I posted the chapter, it showed up on the site in such a garbled way that I finally gave up. I know it led to a lot of confusion among the readers, so sorry for that! I think the site had it in for me last week. Anyway, on to the chapter now!
P.S. I'm re-posting this chapter due to low review count. The low review count has severely demotivated me. I will update again only if we hit the 250 mark. So, please, leave a review!
Meredith Grey was sure she had never been more scared, confused and timorous. Not even when Derek hadn't called her for a week after their breakfast date and she had been sure that he was never going to call her. And that was a big deal. Because, she had been really scared when she had kept waiting for Derek's call but it hadn't come for an entire week. An entire week. Which had led her to believe that Derek had never been interested in her in the first place, and had said yes to her for coffee only out of politeness.
But then, Derek had hit her up, and she had been beyond relieved and happy. She had been jumping with joy when he had asked her to meet him in front of the library. She had all but danced her way to the library. But now – now she was even more scared, and it was not because Derek had not called her. No, it was the other way around.
This time, her problem was not Derek not calling her. This time, her problem was that Derek had called her. Yep, that was pretty much the entire problem.
As Meredith sat on her bed, contemplating on what to do, she subconsciously reached for the little black notebook sitting on her night table. The stranger's diary. It had become a drug for Meredith. A drug that she was seriously addicted to. A drug whose fix she needed every night before going to bed, and lately, even at random periods during the day. She didn't know when she had become so attached to the little inanimate object, but she wholeheartedly believed that it was not a bad thing. She laughed when she read certain diary entries, she cried when she read certain others, and some diary entries just made her smile and reflect on...things. So, she was sure that it was not a bad thing, because reading the diary made her think, and thinking, was definitely not bad.
Maybe, it'd help her think this time too. Maybe, reading the diary would help her get rid of her nerves and actually think of something to do. Opening the diary, Meredith started to read.
"Mer?"
Meredith all but jumped out of her bed as she snapped the diary shut and quickly hid it under her pillow. Looking up, she saw Lexie poking her head around the door of the room.
"Lex, hey," Meredith said in a shaky voice. She had yet to tell Lexie that she was reading the stranger's diary. When Lexie had said that she should read the diary, Meredith had promptly rejected the idea, saying things like "invasion of privacy" and whatnot. If Lexie found out that Meredith was reading the diary now, she would go crazy. So, it was better that Lexie didn't find out about Meredith's little secret.
"Hey," Lexie said as she walked inside and shut the door. "Whatcha doing?"
"Oh, me? No – nothing," Meredith said, shoving the diary further under the pillow.
"Nothing?" Lexie said, sitting down on the bed. "How can you do nothing? You had to be doing something."
"Nope. Just...just thinking," Meredith replied in a more composed voice.
"About?" Lexie said, raising her eyebrows playfully.
"Uh – I – about...I don't know," Meredith said, not meeting Lexie's gaze.
"Mer...You are hiding something from me," Lexie said in a firm voice.
"Hiding? Why would I hide something from you?"
"Hmm...Let's see...What happened to your Library Guy? With my own love life being an entire mess, I completely forgot that you were going to ask Library Guy out on a date," Lexie said, wiggling her eyebrows, "And you took advantage of that."
Meredith scooted closer to her sister and said, "Lexie...No. I didn't take advantage of your situation. I just...I didn't want to rub it in your face when you were going through a difficult time..."
"Well, I'm not going through a difficult time anymore. You can tell me what happened now," Lexie answered with a wide grin. "So, tell me, did you ask him out? What did he say? Did he say yes? Where did you guys go? What's his name?"
"Lex...One question at a time, please," Meredith said with a dramatic roll of her eyes.
"Okay, okay," Lexie said, raising her hands in defeat. "Let's start with his name, then."
"His name is Derek. Derek Shepherd," Meredith said, a smile touching her lips instantly.
"I'm listening," Lexie said, resting her chin on her hands.
"I asked him out to coffee," Meredith said, "and he said yes. He took me to a café and we had breakfast together."
"Oh my God, Mer! Your first date!" Lexie exclaimed, clapping her hands to her mouth. "Why didn't you tell me about it? God, I can't believe you have been sitting on that for...who knows how long?"
"Only two weeks, Lex."
"Two freaking weeks?" Lexie asked in disbelief. "How did you manage to keep quiet for so long? I thought you told me everything," she said with a pout.
"I do," Meredith said, "I do tell you everything, Lex. But, with the whole thing with Mark...I didn't want to rub my first date in your face. You'd have done the same thing."
"I know, Mer," Lexie said, "Relax, I was just kidding. So, how was your first date? On a scale of 1 – 10?"
"10 on 10," Meredith said with a fond smile. "It was amazing and perfect and...just perfect. We talked for hours, and we talked so freely. And I didn't knock things down or fidget or anything. I wasn't a total klutz around him like I am around other guys. I talked with him like I talk with you. Completely carefree and natural. And we talked for two hours, Lex. Two hours, and we didn't run out of things to say to each other. It was like I had known him my entire life," Meredith finished gushing.
Lexie grinned widely and said, "Mer, he sounds like a great guy! He sounds perfect for you. I can't express how happy I am."
"Thanks, Lex," Meredith said, hugging her sister.
"So...Has he called since then?" Lexie asked inquisitively.
Meredith bit her lower lip and hesitated. She knew that once she told Lexie about the even more amazing second date and her very first kiss, Lexie was going to go bananas. And it wouldn't be Lexie's fault either. Meredith herself had been dancing all the way home from her and Derek's second date, thinking about the kiss and giggling like crazy. And she had been dancing for days after that. Until that call. The call that had caused Meredith to lose her night's sleep.
"Um...Yes, he did," Meredith said softly, "We went out on a second date too."
"What?" Lexie said, standing up. "You went out on a second date with Library Guy and still didn't tell me?"
"Lexie..." Meredith tried to say, but Lexie interjected.
"Don't Lexie me," Lexie said, placing her hands on her hips. "Going out on the first date and not telling me was okay. But, going out on a second date and not telling me? So not okay, Meredith Grey. For all I know, you have already kissed your Library Guy and not told me about it."
Meredith opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it. Lexie's eyes widened with shock and her mouth fell open.
"Oh my God, you...you have kissed him?!"
Meredith only looked down in response.
"Meredith Elizabeth Grey," Lexie said in a stern voice, "Whom did I first tell about my first crush?"
"Me," Meredith said in a feeble voice.
"Whom did I first tell about my first date?"
"Me," Meredith repeated in an even softer voice.
"Whom did I first tell about my first kiss?"
"Me, but..."
"Whom did I first tell about me losing my virginity?"
"Me," Meredith replied.
"And you! You went out on your first date, had your first kiss, and didn't bother to tell me about it until I poked and prodded you! If I hadn't asked you about it today, who knows whether you would have told me about it at all...You...I...I feel so betrayed right now," Lexie said.
"Lex," Meredith said, getting up and wrapping her arms around her sister. "I am sorry. I am so sorry I didn't tell you about all this earlier. I was just...unsure, because of the whole Mark thing. I didn't want to..."
"Rub it in my face," Lexie finished for Meredith. "I get that, Mer, I do. But it has been two weeks since the whole Mark thing. I'm more than okay now. You could have at least told me a week ago," she said, shaking her head.
"I wanted to!" Meredith said, pulling back from Lexie. "I really really really wanted to! I was itching to tell you, but...I - I'm a stupidhead! A big, fat stupidhead," Meredith said.
Unable to help it, Lexie broke out into a giggle. "Mer...You are not a stupidhead," she said, pulling her elder sister into a hug.
"But I am," Meredith said, hugging Lexie back.
"No, you are not," Lexie said. "And you are definitely not fat. Besides, who uses the word 'stupidhead' anymore?"
"I do. 'Cause I am one," Meredith replied.
"No, Mer...I'm sorry I went apeshit like that. I just felt like you were keeping things from me. We don't keep things from each other, remember?"
"No, we don't," Meredith said, pulling back from the hug with a wan smile. Meredith hadn't even told Lexie that she was reading the stranger's diary. So much for not keeping things from Lexie. "You don't know what a huge burden has been lifted off my chest now that I've told you about Library Guy and our dates."
"So, how was the first kiss?"
"Wow," Meredith said with a giggle, recalling her and Derek's confabulation that night.
"Wow?" Lexie asked, giggling.
"Yep. Wow. No other word to describe it."
"Mer, I am really happy for you. You two sound like you are really getting along," Lexie said with a huge grin.
"We are...Except..." Meredith huffed and sat down on the bed.
"Except?" Lexie queried, sitting down beside her.
"He called me yesterday, Lexie," Meredith said, "And he invited me to dinner at his place."
"So?" Lexie asked, furrowing her eyebrows.
"So..." Meredith said, "Lex, it's going to be our third date."
"And that's great, Mer. Generally, if a guy asks you out on a third date, it's a good sign. It means he is totally into you," Lexie said with a big smile.
"I know that!" Meredith exclaimed testily. "I know I haven't dated before, but I'm not that naive."
"Mer," Lexie said, placing her hands on Meredith's shoulders, "I don't perceive any problem here."
"Lexieeee..." Meredith said as she stood up and started pacing. "The third date, Lexie. I might have never dated before, but I know things. And the third date is when...when..."
"When?"
"Ahhhh! When you do the nasty nasty!" Meredith blurted out.
Lexie's eyes widened for a split second, before she stood up and grinned. "Mer! I didn't even think of it! You are finally going to get laid!"
"What?!" Meredith exclaimed, her mouth agape. "Lexie, no! I can't have sex with Derek!"
"Why not?" Lexie asked, knitting her eyebrows together in confusion.
"Because...because..." Meredith fumbled for the right words before saying, "Because, I like Derek. I do. But, I'm not ready to have sex with him yet."
"Mer...If you really like a guy, you should want to have sex with him, right? Then...What's the problem?"
"The problem is," Meredith said, "This is me, Virgin Meredith Grey. And I can't have sex with a guy I barely know. I have gone on two dates with him, Lexie. Two dates. That doesn't mean I am ready to sleep with him. I'm scared, and so not ready, and scared, and nervous, and...and..." and there is this stranger's diary that I'm secretly reading and have grown attached to, Meredith said inwardly. Wait, what did she just think? Did she mentally reason with herself and list Diary Guy as one of the reasons she couldn't sleep with Derek? She was going crazy. It was official now.
"And what, Mer?" Lexie asked, bringing Meredith out of her reverie.
"And nothing," Meredith said, shaking her head. She was overthinking things. Yes, that was it. Why would Diary Guy be one of the reasons she couldn't sleep with Derek? "I am just scared, Lexie. I am not ready to give up my virginity yet."
Lexie nodded her head and kept quiet for a while. After a few minutes, she said, "Hmm...I get what you are saying. You want your and Derek's relationship to progress a bit more before you sleep with him."
Meredith shook her head.
"Well, then, just tell him that. If he tries to take your relationship to the next level on your third date, just be honest and tell him that you are not ready," Lexie said simply.
"But, what if he never wants to see me again once I tell him that?" Meredith asked in a feeble tone. "What if he mocks me once he finds out that I am a virgin? What if he doesn't want to date an innocent virgin who has never had any experience?"
"Then, you'll know that he's not the good guy he seems to be," Lexie replied. "And besides, who said anything about telling him that you are a virgin? Just tell him that you are not ready to take your relationship to the next level – that you want to wait. And if he never wants to see you again after that, you'll know what kind of a man he really is."
"But, Lex...I really like him!"
"Meredith," Lexie said, "If a guy is with you just for the sex, then that guy's not worth your time. Believe me. I have learnt it the hard way."
Meredith bit her lower lip and pondered on Lexie's words. Lexie was right. Meredith was not ready to sleep with Derek just yet, and it wasn't because of some stranger's diary. She just wanted to know Derek better before losing her virginity to him. And she would tell him that. If he tried to come on to her, she would tell him that. Because there was no way in hell Meredith Grey was going to lose her virginity to Derek so soon. It'd have to wait. And if Derek had a problem with that, then so be it. Meredith wasn't going to change herself for anyone, not even for Derek.
Meredith clutched the wine bottle tightly as she stood in front of Derek's apartment door. She had arrived a good ten minutes ago, but had yet to ring the doorbell. To say that she was scared would be an understatement. She was beyond scared. It had been one thing to talk to Lexie about it, and it was one thing to actually do it. What if Derek got offended? What if he never wanted to see her again? She was not ready to lose Derek so soon.
But, she was not ready to lose her virginity so soon either. The thought of having sex with a person she hardly knew gave Meredith the creeps. It was one thing to kiss him, and it was another thing to sleep with him. It was definitely too early to sleep with him. She wanted to know more about Derek before taking such an important decision. Maybe that was not the way people did things in a relationship, but that was the way she wanted to do things in her first relationship.
Bracing up, Meredith raised her hand and pushed the little button on the doorbell. She could immediately hear noises coming from inside and she patiently waited for Derek to open the door. A few seconds later, the door swung open, and Derek appeared in front of her in a dark grey t-shirt and faded jeans.
"Hey," Derek said, his mouth breaking into a smile.
"Hey," Meredith croaked out, surprised by how feeble her voice sounded. She really had to get over her nerves.
"Come on in," Derek said and Meredith entered the apartment, her eyes roving around.
"Your apartment is nice," Meredith said as Derek shut the door. "You have done a good job in maintaining it."
"Thank you," Derek said with a bow, causing Meredith to forget her initial nervousness and giggle.
"You are very welcome," Meredith said, "I brought wine."
"Oh, you didn't have to do that," Derek said, walking a little closer to her.
Meredith's heart sped up as her and Derek's proximity increased. She swallowed back thickly and said, "Well, but I did. Here." She outstretched her hand and all but thrust the wine bottle between their bodies.
"Oh," Derek said, taking the wine bottle from her hands, "Uh – um – thanks."
Meredith smiled at him, but avoided looking into his eyes. She had never felt this weird kind of tension between her and Derek before. She had always felt so free with him. What had changed that night?
"The dinner is almost ready. I just have to do a few things in the kitchen," Derek said, breaking the silence, "Take a seat on the couch and I'll start the movie."
Meredith shook her head no and said, "I want to watch you cook."
Derek grinned and rejoined, "Okay, then." And with that, the duo walked towards the kitchen.
"You know, all this looks very delicious," Meredith remarked as she sat on a stool in the kitchen, watching Derek garnishing the food.
"Well, I hope it tastes delicious as well," Derek replied with a laugh.
"It will," Meredith said, swinging her legs and looking around. "I know you must be thinking that I'm so rude. I sat in the kitchen all the while you cooked and didn't offer to help. But, let me tell you, I'd have offered to help except that I can't cook."
"Oh," Derek said, looking at her, "That's not a big deal. Lots of people can't cook."
"It is a big deal. See, for most people, 'I can't cook' means I can't put things in a frying pan and stir it or something. But, for me, 'I can't cook' means I can't even boil water. Or chop vegetables. Or do anything food related."
Derek looked up at her with a faux surprised look and said, "Oh my God, I didn't know you were talking about that kind of 'I can't cook.'"
Meredith narrowed her eyes at Derek's expression.
Derek saw the look on Meredith's face and elaborated, "See, all cooks can be rated on a scale of one to ten."
Meredith rolled her eyes and said, "Yeah, and I am a one."
Derek shook his head. "No. You are a zero. You can't even be rated on the scale," he said, chortling.
Meredith's mouth fell open and she slapped his bicep. "You...I feel so offended right now," she said with a pout.
Derek only continued to chuckle. Meredith got up from the stool and said, "This is not turning out to be such a great date."
Derek's eyes immediately snapped up. "What? Why?"
"Because you are poking fun at me," Meredith answered, trying to hide her smile.
"You are going to predicate the greatness of this date on the fact that I'm ribbing you just a little about your inability to cook?"
"Yep," Meredith rejoined.
"Not being able to cook is a peccadillo. It's not even considered a flaw," Derek said, causing Meredith's face to break into a smile.
"Uh huh. I thought so."
"And I'm saying it with my whole heart," Derek said, flashing her a dreamy smile.
Meredith giggled as Derek said, "Roasted salmon with crispy potatoes is ready."
"Good," Meredith said, "Now, let's go catch that movie."
"What are we watching?" Meredith asked as she settled down on the couch and Derek inserted the DVD in the player.
"Before Sunrise," Derek replied as he went and sat down beside Meredith. "Have you seen it before?"
Meredith shook her head no as Derek inched closer to her and the movie started playing. She leant forward to pick up her glass of wine and took a large sip. She felt nervous. She had never felt nervous with Derek before, but that night, she felt nervous. For a moment in the kitchen, the nervousness had dissipated and she had joked with Derek as freely as she always did. But now, the nervousness was back, and it was back with a vengeance.
Meredith took another sip of her wine and tensed up a little when Derek draped his arm around her shoulder. Damn it, Meredith Grey. This is a guy you really like and that you have kissed. He just put his arm around you. Get ahold of yourself, she thought to herself as she tried to relax under Derek's burning touch. But, she couldn't. All she kept thinking was what she was going to say if Derek offered to show her his bedroom.
She averted her eyes from the TV screen and eyed Derek carefully. He seemed to be quite relaxed. But, who knew? Maybe he was planning to take her to his bedroom after the movie. What was she going to say to him? That she couldn't have sex with him because she was a scared little virgin? No, she needed to have a speech. She needed to have a good speech at the ready.
"Meredith," Derek said, not averting his eyes from the screen.
"Yes?"
"Why are you staring at me?" Derek asked, looking her in the eye all of a sudden, catching her red-handed.
"Oh, I – you – uh – um," Meredith stammered, fumbling for words as she stared into his ocean-blue eyes. "I was not staring at you."
"You were staring at me. And not in a you-are-very-good-looking kind of way," Derek said, withdrawing his arm. "You were staring at me in a very...very weird way. What's wrong?"
Meredith looked down at the floor, trying to think of an answer. Lexie had advised her to be honest with Derek. Honesty is the best policy. Or was it? Meredith wasn't sure.
"Meredith," Derek said again, "There's something bothering you tonight. I can feel it. You have been acting weird since the moment you set foot inside this apartment. There is this...this weird tension between us that I have never felt before. If something is wrong, you can share it with me."
Meredith looked up at Derek and then looked at her wine glass. Dutch courage. All she needed was Dutch courage to tell Derek why she was behaving weirdly. Taking a large sip of the wine, she set the glass down and said, "Derek...I'm sorry I have been acting weirdly tonight. But...What I want to say is...I want to say that..." She paused and then blurted out, "I can't sleep with you tonight."
"What?!" Derek asked, completely taken aback.
"I know, I know. You probably want me to get out of your apartment this very second and you probably don't want to see my face again," Meredith said, still staring at the floor, "But...I'm just not ready to sleep with you yet. Sleeping with a guy is a big deal for me. It's not just a physical act – it's – it's a symbol of something deeper for me. And, I want to know you better before I sleep with you. I want to know if we have that connection before we...And I understand that that's not the way you think. So, I'll just see myself out." And with that, Meredith stood up and grabbed her purse.
Derek stood up too and caught Meredith's elbow. "Meredith, wait," he said softly. Meredith turned around to look at him with glassy eyes.
"Meredith..." Derek said, "I don't want to sleep with you tonight. And I don't mean that in a you-are-not-attractive-enough-to-sleep-with kind of way. Because you are. You are an attractive, beautiful girl. But, I'm not ready to sleep with you just yet either. I want to wait too. In fact, you just spoke my mind. I'm not usually this way with other girls, but with you, I want to wait. And I definitely want to see your face again. Over and over again. My eyes won't get tired of your face, ever." He smiled tenderly at her.
"Really?" Meredith asked. "You mean – you are not offended?"
"Not at all," Derek said. "I invited you to dinner to my place tonight because I wanted to...impress you with my cooking. And because you didn't seem like the type of girl who likes going to fancy restaurants. I didn't mean to send out the wrong signal," he said.
Meredith mentally chided herself for her folly. "Derek," she said, "You didn't send out the wrong signal. I misinterpreted your signal because this is our third date and...because I am a stupidhead."
"What?" Derek asked, laughing. "Stupidhead?"
"Yes, I swear I am a big stupidhead. I completely ruined our date with all my nervousness and fright for no real reason at all," Meredith said ruefully.
"You didn't ruin our date. Our date has barely started," Derek said, raising his hand and gently stroking Meredith's cheek. "I'm glad you laid it all out in the open. Now, we can enjoy the rest of our date freely. We still have more than half of the movie and the dinner left." He grinned at her widely.
"Okay," Meredith said with a relieved smile and the duo settled back on the couch. As they watched the movie, Derek slowly snaked his arm around her shoulder, and this time, Meredith only smiled and leant into his soothing touch.
After dinner, Derek went to the bathroom for a quick shower, leaving Meredith alone to watch the movie. When he went back to the living room fifteen minutes later, his eyes witnessed an adorable sight.
Meredith was curled up on his couch, her head resting on her palm, fast asleep. And she was snoring. Snoring like a freight train. Derek was pretty sure she was the loudest snorer he had ever encountered. And as her snores grew louder, he became all the more sure that she could beat a freight train or a foghorn with her snores.
Smiling to himself, he walked over to the couch and gently picked up her lithe body in his arms. She was as light as a feather, so he had no difficulty in carrying her over to his bedroom. Reaching his bed, he laid her down carefully on the sheets and covered her tenderly with the duvet. She mumbled a little in her sleep, but then curled up in the bed and slept peacefully.
With another longing look at her, Derek smiled and grabbed a pillow and a blanket from the bed. Switching off the lights, he turned on the night lamp and made his way out of the bedroom. Reaching the couch, he laid down on it and closed his eyes, the image of Meredith sleeping in his bed bringing a smile on his face.
Lexie lay in bed and turned on the night lamp. Meredith had not returned yet, and she hadn't even called her. Honestly, Lexie was a little worried about her elder sister, but she didn't want to call her sister and ruin her date. From the sounds of it, Meredith's Library Guy was a pretty decent guy, and Lexie didn't want to mess up her elder sister's first relationship.
But, the younger sister inside Lexie worried. It worried about what Meredith was doing or whether Meredith had told Derek that she was not ready to sleep with him. Lexie had stopped herself from calling Meredith multiple times that night, but she couldn't stop herself from worrying.
Shaking her head, Lexie rolled over and lay supine. She needed to stop worrying about Meredith and think about something else. Just then, Lexie's phone beeped with the arrival of a new text message and Lexie jumped out of bed to check it, thinking that it was Meredith. But, when she opened the text, she saw that it was from Mark.
"Are you asleep yet?" The text message read.
Lexie quickly typed out a "Not yet" and sent it to Mark. Keeping her phone aside, Lexie reflected on the events that had taken place at Café Presse two weeks ago.
Flashback:-
"Lexie, please don't walk away from my life like this. I – I need you. I need you in my life. I...Lexie, I love you."
Lexie's mouth fell open. Her eyes widened in shock. No, that couldn't be...Had she heard it right?
She turned around and looked at Mark for a long minute before finally speaking. "What?" she asked, taken aback.
"I love you, Lexie. I have fallen in love with you," Mark reiterated.
Lexie felt like the ground had been swept out from under her feet. Mark was saying that he loved her. He was saying those three words to her that she had been dying to hear from him. But, under what circumstances?
"Mark, you probably have no idea what you are saying right now," she said, still unable to believe it.
"No, no," Mark said quickly, grabbing Lexie's hand and holding it in his. "I know what I am saying, Lexie. I love you. I love you. You are the only woman I have ever loved. And I know it's difficult for you to believe me right now, but it is the truth. I have never been surer of anything else in my life."
Tears welled up in Lexie's eyes. Her voice seemed to be lost somewhere. She couldn't speak, even though she wanted to. There was so much she wanted to say, so much she wanted to let Mark know. But, all her words condensed into four small words.
"I love you too," she said, throwing her arms around Mark's neck.
As the duo embraced each other, Lexie croaked out, "I'm still mad at you for kissing that other girl. You have a lot of making up to do. Saying 'I love you' was just step one."
"I can spend the rest of my life making up to you," Mark whispered into her hair.
The tears that Lexie had held at bay then started to flow freely.
Lexie's phone beeped once more, causing Lexie to snap out of her thoughts. She opened the new text that read "Missing me? :-*"
Lexie smiled and shook her head. Mark was incorrigible. God, she loved him, even though they had both decided to take their newly formed relationship at a slow pace. She still hadn't fully forgiven or forgotten his kiss with Julie or Julia or whatever. But, she knew he loved her and that was enough for both of them at the moment.
"Yeah, among other things –"she replied back.
Her phone beeped again. She opened the text message that read "I'd walk a thousand miles to be with you tonight. Missing you too. Good night."
Lexie didn't think she had ever smiled as big as she did after reading Mark's message.
Meredith's eyelids flickered as the light filtered through the curtains into the room. She slowly opened her eyes and let out a big yawn as the sunlight flooded the room. Rolling over, she glanced at the clock on her bedside table. She was thrown for a loop instantly as she noticed that the clock that sat on her bedside table was not in its usual place. She sat up straight and looked around the room. It took her a moment to realize that she was not lying in her own bedroom or her own bed. It was then that she recalled how she had dozed off on the couch the previous night. But, she had fallen asleep on the couch. What was she doing in what she could only assume to be Derek's bedroom?
She immediately looked down at herself and let out a relieved sigh on seeing that she was fully clothed. Throwing the sheets off of herself, she stood up and looked on the other side of the bed. It was empty. If Derek was not in the bedroom, then where the heck was Derek?
Meredith walked out of the bedroom and entered the living room. There, she spotted Derek lying on the couch in a curled-up position with a blanket covering him. Her heart melted at the sight. Derek had slept on the couch all night so that she could sleep on the bed?
She smiled to herself as she walked over to the couch and crouched down in front of it. Derek was fast asleep, and a recalcitrant ebony curl was falling on his forehead. Meredith slowly lifted her hand and brushed the curl away from his forehead.
The gentle movement caused Derek's eyes to snap open and Meredith immediately withdrew her hand.
"Oh, hey," Derek rasped out, getting up halfway.
"Hey," Meredith said in a deep voice, "Good morning."
"Good morning," Derek replied with a lopsided smile. "When did you get up?"
"Just now," Meredith said.
"You fell asleep on the couch last night while I was in the shower. I didn't want you to sleep on the couch, but I didn't want you to think that I had taken advanta –"
Meredith pressed her index finger to his lips to quieten him. "You don't have to explain yourself to me, Derek. I know you'd never take advantage of me," she said with a smile.
Derek just looked into her eyes, a dumbfounded look spread out on his features. Meredith stood up and said, "I'll head for home now. I didn't tell my family that I'd be out all night, so they must be worried about me."
Derek nodded. As Meredith started walking towards the bedroom to grab her purse, she turned around and said, "Oh, and Derek?"
"Yeah?"
"If I ever fall asleep on your couch again and you carry me to your bed, you can sleep in the bed with me too. You don't have to sleep on the couch. I won't mind," Meredith said, the corners of her lips twitching.
A big smile wreathed Derek's face. Meredith's statement just made his sleeping on the couch worth it.
A/N: Happy Belated Valentine's Day! I hope this chapter was fluffy enough for a Valentine's Day special chapter. No cliffhangers in this chapter, but I can't promise the same for the next. So, buckle up, and be ready for the blast that's coming in the next chapter!
Who thinks we can make it to 250 reviews? I think we can! :) Leave your cheers, jeers, rants, raves and review s!
A reply to the reviews –
funkmama13 – Thank you so much for reading, reviewing and for being so kind! Your review really made me feel better in my time of sorrow, so I send a huge hug back to you! I even told my parents about your kind words...Agreed! "Never Been Kissed" is an excellent movie, and Barrymore is one of my favourites, so...I didn't actually write the Derek/Amy talking part, but you can assume that he did in this chapter. Yes, I feel that it is a role reversal in my story, if I have ever seen one! Thank you! More is on the way!
ButterflyWhisperer – Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! I'm glad you loved it! More is on the way!
tanecamyb – Thanks a lot for reading and reviewing! I'm extremely gratified that you think so. And thank you for your condolences. You are very kind. I really felt better after reading your review. Your support truly means a lot to me and you don't know how much. You are right – one day, I'll meet my gran again...I told my family about your review and we all appreciate it. Thank you for your kind words!
msnovelist – Thank you! I'm happy you think so. And I think you are quite romantic in your stories :) As for your conjecture about Diary Girl and Mer, I can't confirm anything yet. It'll kill the suspense LOL. Thanks!
RhizOneill – Thanks a bunch! I'm extremely pleased to know that you love my story! More is on the way!
Kachelle486 – Thank you so much! I'm extremely happy that you think so! Your review made my day! Got you off the Slexie cliff in this chapter. More is on the way!
snv3 – Thanks a lot! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter so much! Mark knew that he loved Lexie, but he was afraid to admit it. Lexie walking away from him caused him to finally accept his feelings for her. More is on the way!
Hasi2012 – Thank you! Agreed! MerDer are made for each other, always. And thank you for your condolences. They truly mean a lot to me :) More is on the way!
Patsy – Thank you so much for your kind words! Your reviews brightened up my day! I'm extremely glad that you love this story. I hope Lexie fixed her mistake in this chapter. And thank you so much for the condolences! You are so kind. I told my parents about you and all the other readers who condoled with me, and it truly means a lot to me and my family. Thank you!
Ellen – Thank you so much! I'm glad that you love this story. I know, this site crashes from time to time and I'm very frustrated with the site right now too. Anyhow, thank you!
Alexis – Thanks so much! I'm glad you think so. I hope Lexie fixed her mistake in this chapter. Agreed! Definitely more MerDer and I hope this chapter had enough of it! :) Thank you!
Mathimth – Thanks a lot! I'm glad you loved it! More is on the way!
Ginger – Thank you! I'm extremely happy to know you think so and loved her first kiss. Thanks!
Anita – Thank you so much! Your sweet words made my day! And I'll keep writing as long as readers are reading and reviewing. Thank you!
MsHGolightly – Thanks so much for the lovely review! And don't worry about the delay at all. Life happens and I get that. Hope life has turned a bit smoother for you now. I'm glad that the chapter is your favourite. I was quite nervous about the chapter because I wrote it under a lot of pressure. Thank you! More is on the way!
Priscilla – Thank you! Agreed! MerDer have a lot to teach and learn from each other. More is on the way!
flawlesspompeo – Thanks a bunch! I'm happy you think so. More is on the way!
lilyandrufus – Thanks for the review! Glad to know that you love this story! More is on the way!
Walkinginthecity – Thank you for the review! Meredith is 22 years old, and I mentioned it somewhere in chap 2 or 3. Derek is 25, so the age difference is only 3 years. Hope I have cleared your confusion. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask. Thanks!
Guest #1 – Thanks for the review! I did post chapter 9, but when I posted it, it showed up in its HTML code format, so I had to delete the chapter. Deleting a chapter shows the story in the updated list by default. Sorry for the confusion, but I am really mad at this site right now. Thanks!
HelloItIsMe – Thanks for the review! No, chapter 8 was not reposted. Chapter 9 was posted and deleted due to technical difficulties. So sorry for the confusion it caused. Thanks!
ntlpurpolia – Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! I'm glad you love this. Your reviews made my day! Thanks!
XxthecornykittyxX – Thanks a bunch! I'm happy that you love this. Looks like your wish got granted ;) Thank you for the lovely review!
dobrevicxslexie – Thanks a lot! I'm glad you loved the cliffhanger and the chapter. Hope you like this chapter as well!
Obstinate headstrong girl – Thanks for the lovely review! Well, if Mark wants his girl, he has to work his ass off for it ;) As for your conjecture about MerDer, I can't confirm or deny it yet as it will kill the suspense. And I can't tell you how happy I am that you love Tim. Introducing an original character in the story is always difficult as you always think how the readers will take it. But, the response to Tim's character has been good so far, so...Thank you!