Hello! Day 14!

Today's one-shot was a request from 'guest' on ao3, based after the scene in 6x18 where Meredith excitedly tells Derek's about her day, only for him to totally dismiss her. When I first watched it, I remember hoping for some kind of explanation, but...nope. So I'm here to fix that!

Enjoy! :)

Derek Shepherd was an ass. Meredith Grey was allowed to say that because she was married to him and, according to their post-it vows, she loved him even when she hated him.

For example, today: today she hated him (but also loved him).

All she wanted was a smile, or a quick 'congratulations', or a 'well done', or just something like that. But she got nothing. Nothing at all. Not a single-

"Hello."

She paused before she could get any further into her home. Stupid crappy expectations. Why didn't she expect this? She'd spent the whole day complaining about him to anyone who would listen, only for him to do this. "Um...hi."

"I would ask you if you have any idea how long it takes to light twenty-two candles-" He started with a smirk as he examined his handiwork. She was in too much shock to handle any other comment. "But I know you do."

"Huh?" She asked, eyes returning to him. She was so surprised she could feel her brain failing her.

"The house of candles you made for me." He clarified. "There must have been well over twenty-two."

"Oh. Right." She breathed.

"So...what do you think?" He asked.

"It's beautiful." She said with a slight smile. Along with the twenty-two candles he had apparently put out (she didn't bother counting), there was also a big bouquet of roses on the table.

"But you still think I'm an ass." He finished for her.

Despite the fact that her tone didn't indicate that she wanted to go on any longer, she did. And that's exactly what she would have said. "I...yeah. Maybe a little."

"Before you came to see me, I scheduled one surgery for myself."

"Right."

"And the patient died."

She swallowed. "Oh."

"I know that's no excuse and I'm really sorry but just...I wanted one singular non-crappy thing and- I just-" He sighed. "I couldn't even get that, you know?"

"I'm a non-crappy thing, aren't I?" She asked. She wasn't offended by the fact that he didn't consider her, because all she felt was concern about how obviously stressed he was.

He smirked. "You are the least crappy thing I have. I mean- I love you, is what I'm saying."

"You just need to...relax."

"Relax." He repeated.

"Or...not relax-" She suggested with a smirk.

"No, I think you were right with-" He paused when he felt her hands at his belt. "Oh, that kind of not-relax."

"Yes, Derek-" She pushed his trousers to the floor as she smiled at him. "That kind of not-relax."