Day 11!

Today, Merder are going on an ice skating date. Unfortunately, it doesn't go great.

Hope you enjoy! :)

"I don't understand."

"What is there to not understand?" Meredith asked as she tightened her laces.

"How have you never done this before?"

"Lots of people have never done this before."

"I feel like lots of people have been, but just don't remember how to do it."

"I suppose."

"Oh...crappy Mom?" He suggested as he was struck with that realistion. He was going to continue teasing her, only to consider her childhood. She was never going get that fun family ice skating experience with Ellis Grey as a mother. In fact, she was never going to get any kind of ice skating experience with Ellis Grey as a mother.

She sighed. "Crappy Mom." She confirmed.

He kissed her on the cheek, hoping to cheer her back up after dampening the mood a little. "But it's fine...because I'm going to make it up to you right now."

She smiled as he stood up, balancing on the thin blades with not a care in the world. "So when was the last time you went ice skating?"

He offered her a hand up. "Not that long ago. A few years, maybe."

"Right." She agreed as she took his hand, and used it to pull herself up.

"Now...to the rink." He instructed once he was sure she had figured out how to stay upright with skates on. She had a permanent look of confusion and fear on her face, but she was probably as ready as she'd ever be, he supposed. "Okay?"

"Um...not really. But sure." She admitted honestly.

The pair walked extremely slowly towards the rink, Meredith holding onto Derek with both hands, hoping her ankles wouldn't collapse in on themselves when she was stood on such miniscule blades. One arm was looped with his, but the other kind of just clung onto him in the hope that she could stabilise herself. She was aware that she looked rather crazy, but she ignored that.

"You okay?" He asked, concerned. They were barely half way to the rink and it had taken them quite a few seconds. That didn't sound so bad, but the rink was less than ten metres away.

"Is it worse or better on the ice?" She fretted.

"Worse, but I'll be more help there."

"I uh- think you're being rather helpful now too." She joked; one hand still around his arm and the other hand still gripping onto him hard. They reached the enterance to the rink, and she looked up to him, "Now what?"

"Just step, and I'll make sure you're okay, yeah?"

"Uh-" She breathed, her fear only accelerating when he let go of her. "Derek!"

"Okay, okay- it's okay-" He reassured her in a soothing voice as he slid his hands around her waist. He couldn't help but kiss her neck, just once. "I'm just moving here. I'm not going anywhere."

"Okay. It's...it's all okay. Maybe. Possibly. Probably not." She muttered nervously. She breathed out a little too heavily, and stepped onto the ice.

"So...when did you first skate?"

"Um- I was probably like five or-" He paused as he looked down at her footwork. "Pull your left foot inwards."

She moved her foot at his instruction instantly; she had no idea what she was doing so she followed his instructions as quickly as she could without question.

"Okay. Good. Don't want you to fall, obviously." He said. "Anyway, five or six. And that was, you know, it...was a whole family event."

"Before your dad died."

"Mmm." He agreed as the started to reach the side of the rink. Although turning around was a little awkward, he didn't mind because it gave him an excuse not to think about that. His dad was the reason he even got into ice skating, so, although he loved it, he always felt a little pang in his heart every time he stepped onto the rink. "Anway, going back to what's at hand- I'm going to help you turn now and then we'll go back."

She nodded as he stopped, pausing her too. He assisted her in turning, and took her hand again. He'd learnt that the best thing to do was for him to actually skate, and for her to be dragged behind him.

"How do you feel?"

"Honestly?" She asked rhetorically. "Like a deer...for some reason."

"Bambi." He replied.

"Huh?"

"You feel like a deer because of that scene from Bambi where Bambi sucks at standing up on the ice, and Thumper just slides across it like it's as easy as walking on the ground. You're Bambi, and I'm Thumper."

"Oh. Right. One of those associations where you don't remember where the association came from." She replied.

"Mmm. Now...wanna try something a little more exciting?"

"I'm not sure I'm ready for anything else."

"Oh, no. This is hard work for me, not you. It's just a little more...exciting."

"Okay." She smiled before joking, "But if we fall I'm blaming you."

When he suggested something a little more fun, she wasn't expecting him to skate around her, grab both of her hands and pull her as he skated backwards. Freaking backwards . Like...the wrong way round. She had no idea if that was actually impressive, but it blew her mind.

"So, you never considered going into the Olympics?" She asked. At first, she was scared to ask, assuming he would need to focus, but he seemed so carefree about it all.

"Well, one, I'm not a figure skater-"

"No twirls for me?" She asked with a pout.

He smirked. "Unfortunately not. I was a hockey skater. I can skate fast and I can shoot while skating, but that's about that."

"And you can skate backwards. While dragging me behind you."

"Mmm. But it's fine. As long as you make sure you keep your feet-" He looked down at them. "Exactly how they are now."

"You don't realise how amazing I find this, do you?"

"But you don't realise how amazing I find you, do-" He didn't get to finish that question when both members of the pair hit the floor with one loud, stomach-dropping crack.

"Don't say it."

"Don't say what?" Meredith asked innocently as she paused in the doorway.

"I know what you want to say. But. Don't. Say. It."

"I really don't know what you're talking about, Derek." She dismissed as she sat beside him, and took his hand. "I'm here to check you're doing okay."

"No. You are here to laugh at me."

"I'm not. I-" She was about to promise, only to be interrupted by her own giggles. She couldn't hold it any longer.

"Meredith-" He sighed.

"No. I'm sorry. It's not-" She couldn't help but giggle again. "It is definitely not funny."

"I'm in pain, so it most definitely is not funny."

"It's a little funny." Meredith returned. "C'mon. Look me in the eye and tell me you don't think it's at least a little funny."

"It's not."

"You broke your butt."

"I did not break my butt!" He exclaimed. "I broke my tailbone, and it's not something to laugh about."

She couldn't help it when she giggled again. "It is. C'mon you know it's funny really."

He rolled his eyes. "I hate you, you know?"

"But you also love me, because you promised to love me even when you hate me, ergo, you still love me."

He sighed. "I mean...yes, of course I still love you but at the same time- just...tell me you didn't go round telling everyon-" He was interrupted by the sound of the door opening.

"Hey. How are you doing?" Mark asked, clear concern on his face.

"Okay. I'd be better if this one here would stop laughing at me."

"Oh." He smirked. "Because of which bone you broke?"

"She told you?"

"Oh, mate. She told everyone. She thought you were going to die or something so then when she sent her apology, panic-over text to everyone, she explained what injury you actually had."

"Mark. Kindly exit the room so I can murder my wife." He said, only half kidding.

He looked between the pair for a seconds, before muttering a wish of good luck to Meredith, and running away as fast as possible. He did not want to be in there for that.