A/N - Here's the new chapter of this story, it follows the events of the previous one and you'll see more of Addison and Derek's interactions. The tittle is based in the Olivia Rodrigo song with the same name because I keep thinking about Addek whenever I hear it and it goes with the plot of this story. Thank you to those who are still reading and reviewing this story, you guys are amazing! I hope you enjoy this chapter.
It's a bad idea, right?
One week has passed from the day Amelia was rushed into the E.R, since the accident, things were slowly being back to normal, or at least whatever normal meant these days. Once Amelia was released from the hospital, Addison had cancelled each of her consults along with her scheduled surgeries for the week, this was her own way to make sure she could support Amelia during her recovery. Physically, Amelia was doing great, she only had a broken wrist which was already healing from the fracture, she would be ready to operate again within the next few weeks; but her healing was beyond the physical aspect.
Amelia had also started to go to the AA meetings with Charlotte, even though Addison insisted in joining them to be supportive to Amelia, she agreed that it wouldn't be necessary. On the other side, Derek had also remained close to them, as much as he could, he left his hotel and relocated to Addison's place, with the excuse to being close to Amelia. He was also spending more time at the practice, taking care of Amelia's patients and by the time he would go back to Addison's house, he would spend the rest of the day checking on Amelia and trying to be as supportive as possible, Derek was focusing his efforts on providing comfort and reassurance to his sister and even to Addison, continually telling them that things would be okay.
During that time, neither Addison or Derek had even tried to bring back the conversation they had before Amelia was rushed to the hospital, after all, during those days their main concern was Amelia's safety and well-being. Besides, they were getting along just fine, they were getting closer, probably more than in their last years of their marriage, why would they ruin that with a conversation that both knew how it would end? Their plan was simple, being there for Amelia and for each other, anything outside that unspoken agreement was off-limits.
On that particular day, Addison was called for an emergency surgery very early in the morning, which led her to ask Derek to stay with Amelia during the day in case she needed anything, besides she didn't want her to be alone just yet, to which Derek agreed. Once they were having breakfast together on Addison's courtyard with the beach as a background, Amelia, refusing to talk about any other subject with her brother, insisted on talking about her patients, the ones he has been taking over during her absence.
"Come on, just tell me… I know that you're dealing with at least ten of my patients, talking about them would be much better than being here pretending to have a nice conversation about the weather or whatever normal people talks about… Which is why I prefer talking about damaged brains." Amelia teased her brother, insisting on gaining some insight into her own patients.
Derek couldn't help but smile at his sister's insistence. "Amy, let's just enjoy this breakfast. It's still too early and I'm not even halfway through my coffee."
"Would you prefer if I start to ask you on what the hell is this thing you have going on with Addie?" Amelia knew that the mention of Addison's name would get Derek's complete attention, she smiled deviously, knowing she had struck a nerve and continued. "Because I have seen how you two keep acting around each other and it's like you can't even realize that you are in…"
"Fine, we'll talk about your patients." Derek cut her off, clearly not wanting to dig into that topic. "You know I cleared up my schedule for this, right?" Derek sighed, recognizing that discussing anything else with his sister that early in the morning was just not possible. He really needed to finish that coffee.
"Yeah, only because Addie had to run back to the hospital and lately, you can't say no to her…" Amelia pointed out. "So… My patients?"
"Fine… Let's start with Mrs. Berenson…" Derek began going through her patients one by one, with Amelia adding in with her thoughts and questions. But, as usual, her brother was one step ahead and had already considered each of her suggestions, occasionally provoking an eye roll from Amelia.
"...And with Arthur Adler, that's the last one," Derek said, his voice filled with a sense of accomplishment. "I have to say that this experience of working full-time at the practice wasn't something that I was expecting to enjoy."
"Are you sure it's just the practice?" Amelia teased him further, with a playful look in her eyes. Derek sensed there was something else on her mind, something he was still refusing to talk about. However, before he could add something else, Amelia continued with a grin on her face. "Relax, I was just going to mention the free coffee and breakfast at the office."
Derek raised an eyebrow, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips, but he played along. "Well, it does have its perks," he admitted. "Though I have to admit, I'll miss that… Maybe I'll get that idea on Richard's head"
Amelia chuckled, and before Derek could continue the conversation, she interrupted, her curiosity getting the best of her. "So, that means you're ready to go back to Seattle? We're not going to mention the redheaded elephant in the room?"
Derek decided to focus on the work aspect for the moment and steer clear of more personal territory. "As I was saying," he continued, "with that last one, it marks all of your patients…And yes, working at the practice and St. Ambrosse have been a big change, clearly, it's nothing similar to what I was used to but…"
"But, of course, in a place like St. Ambrosse, you won't get a young intern following you everywhere and going around calling you… What was it? McCharming? No, no, wait. McDreamy. That was it." Amelia interrupted him. "God, that's an embarrassing name."
"And you still don't get why people keep asking you to filter?" Derek said after rolling his eyes "…So, what I was saying is that yes, working here has been a change, and I like it, I didn't think I would like California that much, but I do think it's a good place to take things easier… Or at least that was one of the many things that Charlotte King mentioned once she was offering a permanent position here." Derek admitted casually, as if he hasn't dropped some major news to his sister.
"A permanent position? To you? Wow, that's big, Derek…" Amelia was not only surprised but also taken aback. "What did you say? Did you accept it? God, Addie's gonna kill you for taking the job."
"What? No, of course I haven't accepted it…" Derek clarified immediately. "I still have a responsibility in Seattle. With Luke Holloway being released in few days, I can still check his progress without being here. I don't have any other excuse; you know?"
"Does Addie know that Charlotte offered you the job?" Amelia asked, sensing there was more that Derek was not saying.
"No, we're not talking about it… Or about us at all." Derek shook his head, finally giving in to give more information to his sister, though he would probably end up regretting that. "It just won't work, Amy. I have a life in Seattle, she made her own life here apart from me, that was her reason to accommodate her life here. I need to respect that, and sure, we are spending a lot of time together, but… We tried to discuss it and things didn't end up well…"
"That… Or maybe you should just stop trying to find excuses and face the music, Derek. It's obvious you don't wanna go back there. What's in Seattle for you, anyway? You know you're tempted to accept that position, but then again, that would mean you'd have to talk to Addie about it, which, I guess, you are not planning to do." Amelia leaned forward, her eyes searching Derek's, with touch of seriousness in her tone.
"I already told you, there are things in Seattle I still need to sort out." Derek sighed, acknowledging the truth in Amelia's words
"Sure, but... Do you realize that you're doing exactly the same you were doing before? You're here, you're acting like a couple, but when it comes to actually being there and show her that you actually care, then you just ignore it and pretend nothing is happening. You guys are so obvious that even little Lucas might have something to say about the way you two are acting." Amelia snapped firmly.
"We're not… It's not like that, Amy… We just want to have a good time, when we don't talk about it, things are… Things are less complicated." Derek hesitated for a moment before replying, his voice tinged with uncertainty. "Look, the last time we did talk, we ended up revisiting my affair with Meredith and hers with Mark…. And to be honest, I don't think we'll ever get past that. Sure, we enjoy our time together, but... I don't know, we have too many history behind, maybe this is all we can do."
"Yeah, that doesn't sound like what I've seen lately." Amelia shook her head; she wasn't convinced at all with Derek's speech.
"What do you mean?" Derek furrowed his brow.
"Sometimes I wonder if you're really just a big fool hiding behind this hot-shot neurosurgeon, Derek... You've spent every day together since I had the accident. You're not even staying at your hotel anymore. I don't know about you, but when I had relationships that are just sex, that's not how it works..." Amelia pointed out, because it seemed like the only two people who didn't realize what was happening were Addison and Derek.
"I've hurt her deeply, and you weren't there back in Seattle…" Derek stopped for one moment with a regretful sigh. "Things were bad. I was... I was in a bad place, and I made her go through a lot. I didn't realize it before, but she didn't deserve any of what I did, no matter what she had done back in New York. She was trying to be there for me, to be the supportive wife I needed, and I... I kept chasing after Meredith and didn't even try to hide it. She didn't care, and she fought for us... And I... I just didn't notice all she did until it was all too late. I regret most of the things I did, and after seeing what she went through with Sam… I just know she deserves better." Derek's expression softened as he admitted, his voice was filled with regret.
"Have you mentioned any of this to Addie?" Amelia nodded sympathetically. "Or at least have you even apologized to her for how things went down?"
"That was a long time ago." Derek sighed deeply, his eyes reflecting a sense of remorse. "No… I haven't said it."
"Try to talk to her, Derek, because what if she's ready to let go all of those bad things that ended your marriage, and you never find out? You said it yourself, things were bad in Seattle, you owe it to her, and maybe, just maybe, that's the only way to move forward."
Back at the hospital, Naomi and Addison were working on a case together, Irina Bowen, 38 weeks pregnant, who had been through an IVF treatment with Naomi. The patient had recently lost her husband, and her best friend, Paula was her primary support. Both Irina and Paula had been through an accident, to which Addison was called to perform an emergency C-Section. After the critical hours had passed, the trauma surgeon in the case brought Paula in a wheelchair to see her friend and her new baby.
The encounter between the two friends was very emotional for both Addison and Naomi, who were seeing them from the outside of the room, both with tears on her eyes.
"I miss you, Nae…" Addison sighed, allowing to finally say those words out loud. "Do you think there's a chance for us to be friends again?" Addison asked as she stood on Naomi's side. "I.. uh… There are just a lot of things going on right now, after Amelia's accident, Derek being here… I just… I wish we could be able to talk as we used to…. You know, before all of it." Addison looked down, surely losing her friendship with Naomi had been what she regretted the most about her relationship with Sam.
Naomi however was caught off-guard with the question, she had lately given up on that friendship. She replied with a hint of hesitation, her voice shaky. "I'm not so sure about that, Addie." She admitted feeling a lump in her throat. "Would you be able to forgive me if the roles were inversed?" Naomi asked rhetorically. "If I were the one who had gotten into a relationship with Derek? Can you even imagine how you would feel about that? Knowing that we've slept together, even though it's very obvious you still have feelings for him and probably always will?"
Addison raised an eyebrow at Naomi's revelation. "Do you still have feelings for Sam?" She inquired, her curiosity piqued.
"We're not talking about me, we're talking about you and Derek, aren't we?" Naomi deflected.
Addison let out a heavy sigh, realizing that this conversation was moving to a direction she hadn't anticipate. "So, I guess that's a no. I… I know I should have done things differently but..."
"Maybe, Addison… I don't know, there's just a lot going on at the moment… Everything is too recently, first you and Sam, then you and Derek, and then me and Sam again… That's just too much to be left behind." Naomi's words carried a sense of uncertain.
That new information didn't pass unnoticed by Addison. She was hoping she has misheard that last part of Naomi's sentence. "What do you mean with you and Sam again?"
"You didn't… You didn't know." Naomi didn't even have to ask; it only took a look on Addison's face to realize she didn't have any clue on what she had just revealed. "I… I just assumed Derek had told you, because he was the one who saw…" She shook her head. "You know what? Never mind. You and Sam are not even together anymore, and you have this strange thing going on with your own ex-husband, so I think you're not in position to judge on what I do with mine."
Addison was still in denial after hearing Naomi's words.
Sam and Naomi? When did that even happen? What the hell has been going on here and how even Derek knew about it?
"What are you even saying, Nae?"
"Nothing… Why don't you just talk to Sam, after all, he was the one in a relationship with you, he's the one that owes you an explanation." Naomi pondered her response for a moment, then let out a resigned sigh.
"No, I'm asking my best friend. I don't want to hear it from anyone else."
Naomi thought what to say for a while and sighed. "What does it matter now? I'll go back to the office and I don't really want to talk about it."
With those words, Naomi quickly walked away, leaving Addison with many questions and a zero hopes to amend their already broken friendship.
Hours later, when Addison returned home, she couldn't stop thinking about Naomi's revelation, did Sam really cheated on her? And most importantly, why would those things keep happening to her? Hasn't she paid enough karma for her own cheating? And how was that Derek knew and didn't mention anything to her? Sure, they weren't talking about what they had, they've realized that was just a bad idea that wouldn't led anywhere, but Sam and Naomi? That's something she would be interested to know.
She stepped into her beachfront with those thoughts in mind, hoping that the sound of the waves crashing against the shore would calm everything that was going on inside her head. She couldn't help to notice the sight of Derek, sitting on one of the long chairs in front of the beach, with a glass of wine on his right hand, seeming so quiet that she almost felt like she was interrupting his moment of peace.
"Hey." Addison greeted forcing a smile on her face, she took a deep breath, hoping to have at least half of the quietness Derek was having. As soon as he heard her voice, he turned back to see her approaching to him, he greeted her with a warm smile, and extending one of his hands to invite her to join him on the long chair.
"Come here, I saved a spot for you." Derek said, patting the small spot next to him on the chair he was sitting.
Without hesitation, Addison held his hand and joined him on the chair, once she was there next to him, she wrapped her arms around him, seeking comfort in the familiar embrace of the man who had once been the love of her life.
Had. Past tense, right?
"Where's Amelia?" Addison asked, letting her head rest on Derek's shoulder as he kept her closer to him.
"Charlotte picked her up about twenty minutes ago, they went to a meeting together." Derek explained, not letting go of that surprisingly warm embrace. "Are you okay, Addie? Did something happen on your surgery?" Derek asked curiously, however, his mind kept echoing Amelia's words on the conversation they had early in the morning.
Addison let go a heavy sigh as she would break their embrace, though her hands kept holding Derek's. "It went well, Irina Bowen and Paula Henderson, remember them? One of them was one of Naomi's patient and…"
"Yes, I remember them. Irina is the one who lost the husband and her friend is the one joining her in her consults." Being part of this practice for the time he's been in L.A has allowed Derek the chance to participate in those early conversations when all of the doctors discuss their cases over their morning coffee, so of course he was more than well-aware of their recent patients.
"Yeah, they got into an accident while Irina was in labor. I had to operate both the mother and the baby, but it all went well at the end of the day. They're in observation, but they should be recovering now."
After hearing Addison's recap on her surgery, Derek smiled warmly, clearly proud of her accomplishments, as he has always been. He reached for the wine bottle and refilled his glass, extending it towards Addison. "Well, I guess that's another victory for you, Dr. Montgomery."
However, Addison still seemed bothered, she couldn't shake her worries and insecurities. She finally blurted out the question that had been nagging at her: "Why didn't you tell me anything about Sam and Naomi?"
"Wow…" Derek wasn't expecting that kind of question, being completely honest he hadn't even thought about that, and the fact that Addison was asking him directly this question instead of the people involved was still unbelievable.
"That's all you have to say? Look, I know we're not talking about many things, but didn't it occur to you that I might have wanted to know if someone was cheating on me? Damn it, Derek." Addison rolled her eyes, obviously affected by the whole situation.
I thought we were over the "Sam" topic at this point.
"Addie…" Derek began. "I'm not sure why I am being the one you're asking this question. Yes, I saw them together by mistake but let's be completely honest here, do you think I was in a position to tell you anything? Even if I had, would you have believed me? It would have been a bit too convenient, don't you think? Besides, I'm in no position to judge someone who is trying something with their ex-wife." Derek admitted trying his best not to laugh for the whole situation.
"It's not funny, Derek. Stop laughing." Addison slapped his shoulder joking along with him, while Derek tried to control his laugh. "And yes, you're right, I wouldn't have believed you if you would have said something… It's just… Can you believe it? What were they thinking?"
"Well, I'm not sure how to respond to that without getting in trouble but… It doesn't matter now, does it?" Derek replied, his tone becoming more serious.
Addison's thoughts spiraled into self-doubt as she contemplated her history of failed relationships. She began counting them on her fingers, revealing one of her deepest insecurities. "Do you think it's my fault? Is it something I do? Because, let's face it, it seems to be a very common pattern lately. You, Mark, Pete, and now Sam... I always end up being cheated on or dumped for another woman. Am I just the go-to person while you decide if you're in love enough with someone else and gather the courage to leave?" That was the same thought that had haunted her from the moment their marriage approached to an end, and despite of neither Addison and Derek being able to talk about their own relationship over the past days, Addison felt that the only person who could put an end to those messy thoughts was the one in front of her.
Derek immediately felt a sense of guilt, knowing that he had played a significant role in planting those insecurities in Addison's mind. "Wait… Did you also mention Pete? Did you sleep with him too?"
He quickly realized it wasn't the right moment to delve into that subject and decided to address it later. "What I'm trying to say is… Don't you ever say that, Addie. You are the most competent, intelligent and beautiful woman I have ever met, we're lucky that you even look at us… I can't speak for those other guys, but I know what I did to you was probably one of the worst things I've done, that was a very dark moment… You deserved so much better. I know you were there trying to fight for our marriage but… I guess I was just too angry at you to realize that I was the one to blame, because despite of what you did, you tried to amend your mistakes and were willing to fight for us, and you didn't deserve any single thing of what I made you go through, and I just really hope that one day you can not only forgive me… But I would also like for you to stop putting the blame on you, because, as one of those guys who hurt you, I can tell you, it's not your fault, it has never been and never will be…" With those words, Derek finally said something that he had never admitted before, not to Addison and not even to himself, but somehow, after those words left his mouth, he felt better, and he was hoping Addison would too. "…And well, just for the record, Sam is a fucking asshole, we both know that." He added a joke, that despite of being completely true, made Addison smile.
Addison was left without words, she had been waiting for Derek to acknowledge his part on what happened in Seattle since the moment she started working at the (then) Seattle Grace Hospital, and she had just given up by now, but seeing him admit everything, listening those words… It brought a glimmer of hope to her, a hope she thought had been extinguished long ago.
"You've never said any of this before." Addison said, still in disbelief.
Derek nodded with sincerity in his eyes. "I know… I just… I don't want you to think any less of you, not ever, Addie."
Addison smiled softly. "You know; I don't think I ever thanked you for defending me the way you did the day of Amelia's accident. Sam was being completely irrational."
"Well, being honest, I don't think you needed someone to defend you, but… It felt really good to finally punch him." Derek admitted proudly of his actions. "Even if my hand still needs to recover for it, it was totally worth it."
Addison seals that conversation with a kiss on Derek's lips, it was amazing how after all those years, Derek was still the one who could light up her mood completely. Their lips met in a fervent, passionate kiss, their pent-up desires unleashed in that stolen moment. It was a kiss filled with longing, as if the years apart had only intensified their attraction, and the fact that they were finally alone in the house with no one to interrupt them, would only make it more exciting.
"Addie, I was thinking…" Derek's words punctuated the exchanges of their kisses. "Cooper was mentioning this fancy restaurant where he took Charlotte the other day… And I was wondering… Would you like to have dinner there? Let's say tomorrow night?"
Addison broke the kiss, with a hint of surprise playing on her lips as she regarded Derek.
"Derek…" Addison frowned. "Are you asking me out on a date?" Addison smiled but Derek this time was completely serious.
"I am, I'm asking you out on a date…" Derek looked at her with that particular look in his eyes, that one where she would always get lost in the dark blue of his eyes, and that smile that she couldn't just resist. "What do you say, Addie?"
"I… I can't even remember the last time you took me out on an official date," Addison remarked with a touch of nostalgia. Her mind wandered back to the distant memories of their marriage, a time when romantic outings seemed so distant.
Derek wracked his brain but couldn't recall their last date either. Their later years of marriage had been a far cry from their earlier romance, and during their time in Seattle, they hardly found moments to share lunch, let alone a proper date. "You're right," he admitted, a hint of regret in his voice. "I can't remember the last time we went on a date. But I do recall vividly our very first one."
FLASHBACK,
COLUMBIA MEDICAL SCHOOL
Derek had been meticulously planning the perfect first date since the moment Addison accepted his invitation. The instant they had met, a strong connection had formed, one that neither could ignore—a connection that occupied their thoughts day and night.
That's Addison Montgomery, remember her name, I'm going to marry her one day. Derek had admitted to his best friend, Mark, after the first time he laid eyes on her during their first class together.
As fate would have it, they became class partners, and with each passing day, Derek gathered the courage to ask her out. It happened one afternoon, as they exited one of their many shared classes, he finally found the words to express that she wasn't just another friend that he likes to hang out with, he wanted to be much more than just that. Addison's immediate acceptance took him by surprise, unaware that she felt the same way about him since that first meeting. She couldn't possibly have eyes for anyone else on campus. Her heart would race every time their eyes met during lectures, and she was secretly thrilled when he finally decided to take that step.
From that moment, he had started to plan everything to have the perfect first date with Addison, he wanted to do something especial. At first, he had thought about taking her to a fancy restaurant and then just drive around the city, but he ruled out that choice… He wanted to do something that Addison would remember. His determination to have everything perfect was so strong, that he even asked each one of his sisters for advice on how to have the perfect first date, and sure, he had done that many times in the past, but he just knew that with Addison, things had to be different, it needed to be perfect, because if everything turned out as he expected, it would be just the beginning of what would be a great story between them.
When the day finally arrived, Derek had a clear plan in mind. He would take Addison to Central Park, a place she had mentioned was her favorite spot in the city. He had meticulously prepared a picnic, from the basket to the gourmet sandwiches, fresh fruit, and even a bottle of champagne.
However, fate had other plans. Once he started getting ready, he noticed the clouds were turning grey, which he didn't really care much, because what could possibly ruin what would be one of the most important days for him? He took everything he had prepared and got into his car to finally drive to Addison's apartment, he had been there few times with their study group, but now it was different, they would be there alone and he couldn't wait for spending that time with her.
While he was driving, it did not just start to rain, but it seemed that he was just caught in the middle of a huge storm. "You have to be fucking kidding me!" Derek mouthed as the rain seemed to get worse during his drive. Few minutes later, he left the car nearby Addison's apartment and ran inside as fast as he could, but that didn't avoid he would get wet because of the rain.
He knocked on Addison's door a couple of times, until she finally opened the door. In that small frame of time, all his frustration caused by the rain outside disappeared and turned into a big smile.
"Hey."
"Hey, I was trying to call you, there's a storm alert… I was hoping we would re-schedule but…" That was when she noticed how he had showed up. "Derek, you're soaking wet."
Derek dismissed his drenched appearance, his focus solely on her. "You look beautiful, Addie." Derek said astonished, he didn't know how she did it, but she managed to look better each time he would see her, so much that he didn't even care about the rain anymore, or about the fact that he was indeed standing there being soaking wet. "Seriously, you're just… You look amazing."
Addison felt a rush of warmth flood her cheeks at his compliment. "You should come in… I don't think we should leave in the middle of a thunderstorm; you shouldn't even have left your place, it's not safe to drive under these conditions, you know that."
"And miss out our date? That was not going to happen, Addie. It takes way more than just a little bit of rain to stop me from this date, do you know how long I've been waiting for this? I've been meaning to ask you out since we were working over that cadaver in our summer gross anatomy class."
"Oh, really?" Addison asked with a bit of surprise on her tone. "What took you so long? Because I've been really waiting for this since that exact same day."
Derek smiled at her, his eyes locked onto hers. He didn't need to say more; his actions spoke volumes. After a brief pause, he broke into a playful grin, that's when the idea to make the best out of the date came to his mind. "Come outside with me."
"What?" Addison asked confused. "Derek it's raining; we should just stay in… Besides, I hate the rain."
"Come on, Addie." He insisted with that smile that had been driving her crazy from the moment their eyes first met. "What do you have to lose?"
As she agreed to venture outside with him, Addison's curiosity grew. "What do you have in mind?"
Derek grabbed her hand, pulling her out into the pouring rain, both of them laughing and soaked to the bone. The absurdity of the situation was not lost on them, and it only fueled their joy. Raindrops splattered around them as Derek guided her toward his sleek white Mustang, which sat bravely enduring the relentless raindrops.
As they huddled together, Addison couldn't help but be amazed by Derek's spontaneously. His genuine effort to create a perfect date despite the weather was touching. He didn't release her hand, a reassuring connection that held them together amid the storm "I had this very romantic picnic planned. A few days ago, you mentioned how much you loved taking walks in Central Park and the colors of fall. As the season is finally changing, I thought that would be the best spot for a first date..." Derek sounded a bit disappointed that he couldn't fulfill the idea he had thought. However, the mention of Central Park and the changing colors of the fall season, made Addison's heart skip a beat, realizing how much he had been paying attention to her.
"I can't believe you actually remember all of that," she admitted, her voice laced with both surprise and genuine appreciation.
"I told you, Addie, I wanted this to be perfect," Derek sighed still disappointment as he considered how much his plans had changed. "But that doesn't mean that we can't still have our picnic inside your apartment."
The rain continued to fall around them, their surroundings awash with a fine mist, but neither of them minded. As Addison's warm smile met Derek's intense gaze, it was as if the world had faded away, leaving only the two of them in that moment.
With a mixture of longing and curiosity, they closed the distance between them. Addison didn't say any word but she led closer to Derek with a small nod in approval. Derek's strong arms wrapped around Addison, pulling her in as their lips finally met. The kiss was a tender, and full of curiosity, time seemed to stand still while their connection seemed stronger than ever.
When they finally pulled away, Addison had a satisfied smile on her face, her cheeks slightly flushed, and her eyes shining with warmth. "You're crazy, Derek Shepherd. I should've known that."
Derek chuckled, his eyes still fixed on hers, keeping her closer to him. "Maybe a little crazy, but it's all worth it."
"Now, let's go back inside before one of us ends up catching a cold. Because even if you do, you still owe me a date in Central Park." With their laughter filling the air, they made their way back to Addison's apartment, where they were able to have the inside picnic, little did they know in that moment that it would be just the beginning of their love story.
END OF THE FLASHBACK
"That was a very messy date, wasn't it?" Derek admitted with that same charming smile on his face. "You can't even begin to imagine how nervous I was to screw everything up and not having another chance with you."
"You were really cute that night. I give you that." Addison admitted with a big smile. "I don't think I ever told you this… But it was from that same night that I knew I wanted to marry you." Addison laughed softly, her eyes filled with affection as she looked at him.
Derek's heart skipped a beat at her words, and he couldn't help but feel a surge of happiness. "You did?"
Addison nodded, her smile was warm and genuine. "Yes. It was messy, unexpected, and perfect."
Just like us, she wanted to add.
"Are you sure about this? I mean, I know we haven't exactly been…" Addison hesitated for one small moment, considering how bad things ended up the last time they did try to even talk about what they've been doing.
"I know, and that's exactly why I want us to do this, maybe we could start to… I think there are many things and… Look, all I know is that I heard about that place, you were the only person I could think about." Besides, maybe it was just about time to finally talk about them and said those things left unsaid, and of course, there was also Charlotte's proposal to join the hospital full time, he wouldn't take that job without telling Addison, keeping secrets from her was one of the many reasons their marriage ended.
"The answer is yes; I'd be happy to go out on a date with you… But now, I'm going to take a long bath upstairs, just in case you want to join me." She sealed her invitation with a quick, teasing kiss on his lips and then gracefully walked towards the house without looking back.
Derek watched her go, his heart racing and his mind filled with desire. He couldn't wait to join her upstairs, but as he took a step in that direction, his phone rang, interrupting his thoughts. It was a call he had been avoiding for weeks, but he decided it was time to answer it.
"Richard… You're a very insisting person." Derek greeted with great curiosity.
"Well, you're not exactly answering my phone calls," Richard replied, his tone slightly amused. "How's L.A treating you? Don't tell me you're planning to follow Addie's steps and change our rainy days for a sunny weather."
Derek sighed, knowing that Richard had a knack for getting straight to the point. "What do you need, Richard?"
The older man didn't waste any time. "Well, I know you're still working on your assignment in Los Angeles, but if you're still considering the offer of taking over as Chief of Surgery again, then you know you will need to take over in the next two days."
A/N: Just when you think Addison and Derek are making a bit of progress, things keep happening... But let's see how it goes at the end, there's still a lot of things they haven't said and Derek still needs to make a decision and tell Addison if he's going back or if he's taking Charlotte's offer... Also, I probably say this with every chapter, but I loved writting this flashback, somehow I'm glad that Shonda never showed us Med School Addek because she would probably make them miserable, and in my mind, they are just this cute couple who are crazy about each other.
There are just two chapters left for this story, I'll try to update it really soon. Thank you again for reading, I hope you're still enjoying this story!