-1Author's Note: It was made mention by a reader that this fic was no longer of interest to them due to the last update. I am sorry if some of you were offended. That was not my intention. I really hope you all stick with me on this as these characters grow and change. I am hoping this next update makes up for the rather un-classy behavior Meredith, Cristina, and Izzie exhibited in the last update.
Recommended song to listen to while reading: happened to shiny ribbons, paper flowers, and those horrid garden backdrops a photographer used to take pictures? Milton Academy had never heard of those things; or if they had they weren't using them. The dining hall had been transformed into a fantastical wonderland of twinkling light; one whole corner had been made to look like a Grecian garden, complete with live plants and a working fountain.
"You clean up nice."
Derek spins around, the sole of his dress shoe squeaking on the floor. His breath catches in his throat. Her golden hair was drawn back from her face with some sparkling clips of some sort, a riot of curls down her back and over her shoulders. An emerald colored halter style gown floated around her body, the hem swirling around her slender calves. Whether it was something being sprayed in the air or her, his sense were swimming in the smell of gardenias. "So do you."
"Really?" The eagerness in Meredith's eyes made him re-knew his vow to show her she was special. He hadn't been as diligent in that matter as he should have been; he was an academic more than a Romeo after all.
"Absolutely. You look very…pretty." Pretty didn't begin to cover it. She looked amazing. She was amazing. Derek stares at her a moment longer, freezing an image in his mind of her beauty and the sweet smile on her face. He wanted to remember this Meredith for the rest of his life.
"Thank you. I wasn't sure about the dress." Her tiny hands pluck at the silky looking material, her gold bracelet catching in the light. "I was worried it would be to much. Now, I'm worried it isn't enough. Fancy enough, I mean." Derek followed her gaze to where Erica and Rebecca stood. Both girls wore gowns that reminded him of the one he had seen his grand-mother wearing in a picture taken at her prom. Perhaps the 1950's style of cap sleeves and full tulle skirts that fell almost calf length were back in style. He couldn't be sure. His sisters mostly wore either indecently short or long and full.
"I think you look fine." Derek assured her. He was awarded a full smile, one that reached her eyes. He could drown in those eyes. "So, did you come…alone?" Mentally he kicks himself. Could he have sounded anymore like an idiot?
"Well, I did, but I didn't." She lets out a soft giggle, glancing over her shoulder. Cristina stood a few feet away, wearing a dress his mother would have had an apoplectic fit over. It was little more than a black tube, barely covering her breasts, and would be lost if she bent over. He wasn't up to par on the dress code, but that dress had to be breaking at least six different rules. "She's not to happy about being here." To prove Meredith's statement correct, Cristina grimaces, crossing her arms. Do not touch was radiating loud and clear. He felt sorry for any boy stupid enough to ask her to dance.
"Really? It doesn't show." He jokes. Another giggle, and her hand on the sleeve of his suit this time. Alex's suit, really. The only suit he had was back in Seattle. Foolish him, he had forgotten to pack it. Secretly, he was a bit glad. The one he wore now was much nicer than his own. "So, would you like to dance?" Smile still in place, she nods.
The upbeat tune turned to a soft melody almost as soon as they stepped foot on the dance floor. Tentatively, he takes her into his arms. Vaguely he recalls the song from the movie Titanic. A bit ironic, he mused, given how they met. She feels right in his arms. Closing his eyes, he buries his nose in her silky hair. It smells of vanilla and lavender. He could stay like this forever.