"No," Derek dismissed the diamond earrings Mark was pointing to in the case of the jewelry store they'd spent the past hour in.
"Seriously, Shep?" Mark groaned. "It's just Christmas. Just get her something and let's go. I'm hungry."
"I can't just get her something," Derek sighed as he moved to study necklaces in the next case. "She's…Meredith. It has to be perfect."
Mark sighed as he followed Derek. "There!" he pointed to a pearl bracelet, a triumphant look on his face.
"No," Derek frowned. "I don't know that jewelry is the best gift for Mer."
"Then what the fuck are we doing in a jewelry store?" Mark boomed, looking around at the salespeople shooting him dirty looks. "Sorry."
Derek rolled his eyes. "I'm trying to figure something out," he said. "But she's so complicated. And she told me she doesn't need anything."
"Have Mom pick something out," Mark suggested. "Or one of the sisters."
"It has to come from me," Derek insisted. "And it has to be….perfect." his voice trailed off as he laid eyes on an emerald necklace, sparkling brightly from its space on the white gold chain.
"Did you finally find something?" Mark asked, hope lacing his tone. "Good, just buy it and we can get out of here."
Derek smiled as he looked down at the necklace. "Can I help you, sir?" a saleslady asked, approaching him from the other side of the counter with a smile on her face.
"Yes, I'd like to buy that necklace," Derek said with a soft smile. "For my girlfriend. She has…the most beautiful green eyes, and this would just make them sparkle even more."
"Shep, she doesn't need your life story," Mark rolled his eyes. "Just your money."
Derek ignored him as he paid for the necklace and opened the jewelry box that had been slid across the table for him. "She'll like it, right?" he asked Mark.
"Yes, she'll like it," Mark said. "Now let's go."
They walked out of the jewelry store and back into the mall, each of them feeling confident about the presents they had gotten for their girlfriends. Christmas was coming soon, and they had taken advantage of the girls studying for their first year seminar final to do some Christmas shopping.
"Is Mer coming home with you for winter break?" Mark asked as they neared the food court.
"Yeah," Derek nodded. "After New Year we'll probably go back up to Boston with Mom and Dad to pack up her house so it can officially be put on the market. I'm not sure how that's going to go, but that's why I wanted to wait until after Christmas."
Mark nodded. "She's in for her first real Christmas, huh?" he asked.
"What are you talking about?" Derek frowned. "She's had lots of Christmases before."
"Man, you're pretty dense," Mark shook his head. "You think Ellis Grey had time to play Santa?"
Derek stopped walking and frowned. "She's never had a Christmas," he stated.
"Don't worry," Mark shrugged. "One Christmas with the Shepherds makes up for a lifetime of missed ones. I know."
"I guess," Derek muttered, shaking his head as he started to walk again. "I can't believe I never thought of that."
Before Mark could respond, there was a familiar giggle penetrating the air, and a flash of red hair across the food court. He glanced at Mark and smiled as they both realized their girlfriends were likely to be doing the same thing they were. With a nod, they moved towards their table and sat down, smiling smugly at the girls.
"Studying, huh?" Derek asked with a grin. "I'm sure you're getting a lot of inspiration from the mall."
"Der," she breathed, looking at him with wide eyes. "What are you doing here?"
"Probably the same thing you are," Derek shrugged, reaching for the bags at her feet. "What'd you get me?"
"Shut up," she said, slapping his hand away. "That's not for you."
"Oh really?" Derek raised an eyebrow. "Who's it for?"
"My other boyfriend. The one I like better."
"Well, you might want to return them," Derek suggested. "I'll kill him."
Meredith rolled her eyes. "You're a caveman," she stated as she leaned into him.
"Just protecting what's mine," Derek shrugged.
Meredith smiled as she leaned up to kiss him. "I'm just kidding," she whispered.
"I know," Derek laughed.
"You're definitely my favorite boyfriend."
"Okay, seriously?" Mark rolled his eyes. "I'm going to throw up."
"Be nice, Mark," Addison automatically.
"You wouldn't be saying that if you had to follow Shep around for three hours as he shot down every single thing in this mall," Mark rolled his eyes.
"Mark," Derek groaned. "Stop talking. Now."
"How did I know that you wouldn't listen to me when I told you not to get me anything," Meredith sighed.
"Mer, I'm not going to not get you anything," he laughed. "You're going to be so spoiled this Christmas."
"You didn't go overboard, did you?" she sighed. "Because I don't want a lot of stuff…"
Derek laughed. "I didn't go overboard," he said. "At least not by Shepherd standards.
"Oh, God," she groaned, turning to Mark. "Do I want to know how corny this will be?"
"Probably not."
"Great," Meredith sighed, flopping back in her chair as she picked up her pizza crust and started playing with it.
"Hey," Derek said gently, nudging her shoulder with his own. "What's going on with you?"
"I just…I hate Christmas," she sighed.
"You…what?" Derek breathed.
"I can understand how people love it," she said. "But those people have families and people who want to watch each other open presents and be happy. I was always jealous of them and now…I hate Christmas."
Derek sighed as he ran a hand over her hair, feeling a combination of anger towards Ellis Grey and pity for his amazing girlfriend at the fact that she had never really experienced Christmas. "You'll have that this year, Mer," he murmured. "My parents will make sure of it."
She sighed as she leaned into him. "I know," she nodded. "And I know you love Christmas. But it might take me awhile to really let go of those feelings."
He sighed and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "I know," he sighed. "And I can help with whatever you need."
She looked down at her watch and turned to Addison. "We should get back to school," she said. "To actually study."
Addison nodded, leaning forward to kiss Mark lightly. "We'll see you later," she said as she and Meredith stood. Derek ran a hand through his hair as he watched Meredith walk away.
"Well, at least you know there's one thing about her you don't consider perfect," Mark said with a laugh.
"Maybe for now," Derek replied. "But after a Christmas at our house…she'll be transformed. I can feel it."
XXXX
A week later, Derek trudged wearily down the hall to his room, pleased that his last final was over. He would take off for home in the morning with Mark and Meredith, and he couldn't wait to really spend a significant amount of time at home.
He opened the door and blinked rapidly at the sight before him, a smile slowly spreading across his face as he again took in the amazingness of his girlfriend. "This is quite the welcome home," he said with a laugh as he closed the door behind him, locking it quickly.
Meredith was lounging on the bed, clad only in deep red lingerie, stockings, and a Santa had. His eyes roamed in her body, taking in everything from the red high heels on her feet to the mouth that was sucking eagerly on a candy cane. He swallowed hard as she stood and moved closer to him, pushing him onto the bed before standing in front of him with a seductive smile on her face.
"Santa told me that you've been a bad boy," she purred. "I think you need punishing."
Derek's foggy brain couldn't come up with words, and he nodded eagerly as she reached up to pull the straps of her lingerie down over her shoulders, leaving her shoulder bare and begging for him to run his tongue all over them. She moved her hips I slow circles as she slid out of the lingerie, smiling as Derek's eyes glazed over at the sight of her standing before him clad only in stockings and high heels. She reached for her garter, but he leaned forward and pulled her onto the bed with him.
"Leave them," he growled with an animalistic groan she'd never heard before. "It's hot."
She laughed breathlessly as she reached for his shirt, pulling it quickly over his head. "So this is a fantasy of yours?" she asked.
"Hell yes," he murmured against the skin of her breast.
"Well, then," Meredith purred, reaching down to shove his pants and boxers down. "Let's see how the reality compares."
"Oh God," Derek groaned, collapsing against the pillows as she lowered herself onto him, moving her hips in gentle circles as she rode him. She threaded her fingers through his thick hair, leaning down to kiss him hard as his body trembled beneath hers, his hands running over the stockings that still covered her thighs. "Mer…" he moaned, taking complete pleasure in the fact that she was in control. "God, Mer…"
"Derek," she whimpered, moving faster over him as she felt him twitch inside of her. "God, Der, I'm close."
"It's okay," he murmured, his voice muffled by the skin of her neck where he was gently nibbling. "Come, Mer."
She arched her back against him as she tightened around him, moaning softly as she felt him come moments later. She collapsed on top of him, and he wrapped his arms tightly around her, pressing a kiss to her forehead as their sweaty bodies meshed together.
"Merry Christmas, Der," she murmured after a few minutes.
He laughed as he tightened his arms around her. "That was my present?" he asked.
"One of them," she sighed. "The one I couldn't give you at your parents house."
He sighed happily as he lifted her head to kiss her gently. "Thanks, Mer," he whispered when he pulled away. "And you'll have the best Christmas ever. I promise."