Izzie made her rounds. She plastered a smile on her face and visited each one of her patients. She was trying at all costs to avoid him. She was really trying, but she didn't want to do it. Who could resist that charming smile or the wavy hair? Or better yet, the way he would press his body against hers driving her senses into serious overdrive?
But still she was avoiding him. And Meredith, with her incessant stares.
Izzie finished her rounds and made her way to the locker room. She in fact, trying to avoid everyone at this point. Knowing she would have severely limited privacy in the locker room, she ran in, grabbed a small bag from her locker, and ran out.
She walked down to her secluded spot so she could at least grasp some control over herself. She sat down with her back against the wall, willing herself not to think of the surplus supply room around the corner and what went on in there.
She opened her small bag and pulled out a heavily iced chocolate cupcake. She poured her heart out on a batch last night. The one currently in her hands was the best. She stared at the dark brown frosting and the chocolaty goodness waiting for her. And in the one second of staring at it, she threw all her manners out the window and attacked the cupcake. In attacking the cupcake she was kicking all her feelings of avoidance.
With frosting on her lips and chocolate between her teeth, she looked up while she slowly began to chew the big bite she took when she saw him.
Him. The one. The one for her if only in another lifetime. And she gulped. A big, loud gulp.
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Derek drifted aimlessly around the hospital. He tried very hard to give his patients his attention, but only a certain blond would come to mind. It had been two days since he left her outside his trailer. They shared a moment lying on the blanket out there, but he knew that in her mind, she would never go through with such a betrayal.
So, in part of his feelings for her and to respect her wishes, he left her.
Only he hadn't really left her. Maybe he did physically to make a point. To make a point that he would always respect her wishes, but he never left her. He cared about her too much.
And in this realization, he knew that Izzie Stevens deserved more that casual sex and escapades in random places. She deserved more than being cramped in trailers just for hot, dirty sex.
Izzie Stevens deserved an actual relationship. A real date, away from the hospital and the rest of their lives. She deserved a nice dinner. She deserved to be treated like the person she was.
And he, Derek Shepherd, was going to give it to her.
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Izzie gulped, but still refused to open her mouth. Something about her trying to be serious, but having chocolate in her teeth would fail to make her point. So she remained silent as Derek Shepherd walked towards her. His eyes were amused and the most charming smile was on his face. He looked at her as if he just discovered something else about her, like he was discovering something new each time.
Izzie sat still as a statue and glued her lips together, oblivious to the frosting on her lips. She sat there as Derek bent downward, bringing his face less than a foot away from hers. The heart-melting smile was still on his face as he bent lower and bit into the cupcake in Izzie's hands.
Izzie continued to remain in her position as Derek flicked out his tongue and then gave her a toothy smile to show off his chocolate-less teeth.
Derek was up to something. No doubt about it.
Keeping her frosted lips stuck to her teeth, Izzie uncomfortably asked, "Derek, what are you doing here?"
"Iz, this is delicious." Derek leaned in for another bite, but Izzie moved her hands.
"We're not doing this anymore."
"Doing what anymore?" Derek asked innocently and Izzie's heart fluttered.
"Derek! No sex!"
"I'm not here for sex," Derek continued his innocent look.
"Then why are you here?"
Derek dropped his act. "Iz, I want something real."
But Izzie was already shaking her head and making a move to get up. But Derek grabbed her, enclosing her in a warm embrace. In such a way that Izzie never wanted to leave from his grasp. Derek was now closer to her ear and lowered his voice as he talked into her ear.
"Listen to me."
Izzie didn't move.
"You said it was the wrong place, wrong time."
Izzie's still didn't move.
"Let's the make it the right place, right time. Get to know me. Let me get to know you."
"We already know each other," Izzie said.
"No. I want to know you, not what we think we know about each other." Derek pulled back slightly to look her in the face, "Isobel Stevens, I would like to take you out to dinner."
He saw the surprise in her face.
"I . . . can't," she sputtered.
"Yes, you can."
"No. What if someone finds out?"
"The point of a relationship is that there is no need for secrecy," Derek smiled.
Izzie's brown eyes widened in alarm.
"Don't worry, we don't have to tell anyone yet. It can be our secret for now. But we're still going out to dinner."
"Derek . . . I--
Derek silenced her with a kiss. A soft, sweet kiss.
He then pulled back, ate the last bite of the cupcake, and turned to leave.
Izzie felt her heart fluttering, but then she thought of something and it stopped. "Wait! Mer--
Derek turned around, his eyes boring into her. "I already talked to her. I let her know that I seeing someone who means a lot to me. She doesn't know it's you."
"Derek, I still can't."
"I know this place on the other side of town. Far from here. No one will know," Derek paused for a second, "Iz, what you and I have is something I don't want to let go." He smiled, "So, dinner?"
Izzie stared at him. Two days ago, she was willing to leave him for who knows what reason. And now, she didn't want to let go of the something either. She toothily smiled. She nodded her head and then laughed.
"Good," Derek said in his smooth voice. He turned and took two steps before turning back around. "Iz, you might want to check your teeth before going back up."
_________________
Derek made up his mind. He knew what he was going to do and he knew where she was. He saw her at the nurses' station with all her friends. One by one they left until only her best friend remained. It was now or never. He walked towards her.
"Meredith, we need to talk."
"I'm going to go now," Cristina turned and left.
Meredith faced and Derek and gave him that expectant stare. "You know, I waited for you. And you come now?"
"Meredith, I'm not coming now."
Meredith looked at him confused.
"We are not together."
"We are not together?" Meredith repeated.
"So, technically we can see other people."
"We can . . . Derek? What's this about?"
Derek took the plunge. "I met someone."
"You met someone?" Meredith repeated. Then she froze.
"I really like her and I want it to be real."
There were a million things going through Meredith's head on what to say, but instead she said, "And you're telling me because?"
Derek looked her straight in the eyes, "I'm telling you because I want you to know, she's not revenge. Whatever you and I had is over now."
__________________________
Izzie laughed to herself now. She was going one real date with Derek. Who cared about chocolate in her teeth?
Derek was nearly gone for two minutes when she heard voices around the other corner. And in seconds, George, Alex and Cristina appeared.
"Iz? What are you doing here?" George asked upon spotting her.
"Did you know about this place?" Alex asked.
"Yeah, what is this place?" Cristina asked.
And in the second they appeared, Izzie knew that one chapter of her life had ended. Her secluded, secret spot would never be the same again, much in the same way that her life would never be the same again. She was now beginning something new and good.
There would be no fake boyfriend drama like it was with Alex. No heartbreak and missed time like it was with Denny. And definitely no adulterous affair like it was George. No this time (the first time in a long time) someone wanted to take Isobel Stevens out to dinner
Izzie felt refreshed and ready to dose out some witty remark, when all her boxed guilty feelings came flooding back upon hearing Cristina remark, "Kinda harsh don't you think? She's not revenge. Whatever you and I had is over now."