AN: I want to thank everyone reviewing! I have had some new reviewers and your feedback means everything to me! It inspires me to keep these chapters coming so please keep them up.

Now, I doubt this chapter is going where you thought it would. So, enjoy and stay tuned for my author's note at the bottom for more.

I pinned Meredith against the wall, my lips attacked hers. I felt everything. The nostalgia, the hope, the love - all in this kiss that I never wanted to end. My hands roamed her body as I familiarized myself with the more pronounced curves that grew in our time apart. Her hips were wider, her breasts larger, her waist even more pronounced. I pulled her top off to get a better view of what my fingers were exploring. She was breathing heavily and my eyes hungrily attacked the way her chest rose and fell begging to be set free by my hands. Our lips were back together in a second as she fumbled with my pants and I fumbled with her bra. She had me down to my boxers in a second and I had her breasts set free as my hands massaged them appreciating how they felt in my hands.

Our tongues played and I relished every second. This was better than I remembered, better than my dreams.

"Upstairs" Meredith breathed in-between kisses.

I was in a daze.

"Take me upstairs" she got out in between kisses. I picked her up in a swoop, our lips never leaving each other. I'd like to say I carefully maneuvered us both up the stairs, but in all reality my only thoughts were burying myself inside of her. Her lips tasted and felt like home and all I wanted to finish what I started.

I didn't know which room was hers but something, intuition I guessed, guided me as I held her against me. Our tongues danced.

I let her down on the bed and before I could even think of my next move, Meredith was pulling me to her. My hands roamed to her jeans as I pulled them off revealing a nearly naked Meredith.

My hand stroked up her thighs, across her stomach, over her breasts to her face, I cupped it as I looked at her "You're so beautiful" I muttered in awe over the moment.

Meredith smiled slightly and pulled my lips to hers. Her hands worked my boxers off as she stroked me.

I pulled back "Are you sure?" I asked her. I didn't know what this was to her, pent up frustration, alcohol, familiarity. She kissed my lips again.

"I need to know you want this. That you want me."

"I want you Derek" she whispered and the rest was history as I buried myself deeply inside of her, as deep as I could go. Meredith got on top, leaning into every bit of me. It felt so good being back inside of her. She moved on top of me and I roamed her body as our lips played. I needed this more than I even knew and it was embarrassing how fast I was going to finish. No one ever felt to me the way Meredith Grey did. I released fully into her and she kept going until her release.

When she finished, I pulled her against me and buried my head in her hair. I breathed her in.

"I love you" she told me softly. I pulled back and looked in her eyes and all I saw there was truth.

"I love you too. I always have. I.. I never stopped loving you."

Meredith responded by kissing me again and touching my erect penis. She stroked it as my hands moved to cup her breasts. I placed her nipple in my mouth and sucked and she quickened her strokes.

"I need you" I told her thickly as we started round two…

I fell asleep with the love of my life wrapped in my arms. I wanted to do this everyday for the rest of my life… I just hoped she'd let me.

Meredith's POV

I woke up to a heavy arm wrapped around my body. I noticed instantly that I was naked and the night before started replying back to me. I groaned. I could blame it on the alcohol, or the fact that it had been awhile for me, or the fact that tequila made everything porny but the only thing to blame was my longing and this electromagnetism that Derek and I had. The stupid, annoying, consuming electromagnetism that existed between us for as long as I can remember.

Now, with his arm still heavy and warm around me, I was reminded of everything I had tried to bury—his smile, the way he would laugh like he didn't have a care in the world, the way his touch made my skin hum. And now, I had no idea what the hell we were. What were we even doing? What were we thinking?

Derek looked at total peace and his usually perfect hair was ruffled. I couldn't help but smile, despite the swirl of confusion in my chest. There was something endearing about how effortlessly beautiful he looked, even when he was tangled in the mess we had created. His dark lashes kissed his cheeks, and his lips, though slightly parted in sleep, still held that faint curve that made my heart twist. I could never hate him for being the source of this chaos. It wasn't his fault, not entirely.

I swallowed a sigh and carefully shifted, trying not to wake him. But in doing so, I brushed against his chest, and his arm tightened around me in response, pulling me closer. My breath caught, and I froze.

His hand moved to my waist, his fingers gentle but sure, like he had every right to be there. It was like nothing had changed, like we had been doing this for the past number of years. Like we had never parted. Somehow and once again. I was the one who got tangled in things. I always was.

He stirred slightly, his breath brushing against my ear, and I stiffened. The last thing I needed was for him to wake up and make this real—whatever "this" even was.

I closed my eyes and tried to keep my heart from racing, silently wishing for a manual, something that would tell me exactly how to untangle this mess before it got worse.

His hand on my waist shifted slightly, and I could feel the heat radiating from his touch, making it harder to focus. I bit my lip, fighting the urge to let my thoughts drift toward what we had done, what we might have just done. I didn't want to give into the temptation of asking him what this was, or worse, admitting how much I wanted to know.

Derek shifted again, his breath warming the side of my neck, and I felt the faintest hint of his lips brushing against my skin. My body responded before I could stop it, a shiver running through me. Damn it, I should pull away. I needed to pull away.

But when his hand moved to the small of my back, pressing me closer to him, the last of my resolve slipped. I stayed perfectly still, pretending I could breathe through the rising tide of emotion in my chest.

He mumbled something softly, his voice still thick with sleep. My name, maybe? Or maybe it was just a dream. But the sound of it—soft, low, familiar—did something to me. It was almost too much.

I felt him wake slowly, the tension in his muscles shifting as he blinked a few times and then slowly, with a groan, raised his head to look at me. His eyes met mine, sleepy but full of something that made my stomach flip. He didn't say anything right away, just looked at me with that damned look that always had me questioning myself, second-guessing everything.

"Morning," he said, voice rough with sleep.

I swallowed, trying to find my words, but they were all tangled in the mess of last night and everything that came before. "Morning," I finally managed, my voice sounding smaller than I wanted it to.

There was a long pause. I could feel the weight of it, the way the silence seemed to stretch between us, heavy with unspoken questions. His eyes never left mine, and I could see the flicker of something there—something I didn't want to name just yet.

"So..." Derek finally spoke again, his voice casual, but there was an edge to it. "Guess we should talk about this."

Talk about this. I wanted to laugh bitterly. What is there even to say?

I bit the inside of my cheek, trying to gather the pieces of myself that were scattered across the bed. "Do we have to?"

He chuckled softly, but there was an uncertainty in it. "Yeah. I think we do."

I stared at him, unsure of how to proceed. He was looking at me like he wasn't sure if he should reach for me or pull back.

I sighed. If he wanted to talk, I would let him. I said what I needed to say last night.

I shifted slightly, pulling the blanket around me a little tighter, trying to put some distance between us, though it felt pointless. The tension in the air was thick, a delicate balance teetering on the edge of something I wasn't sure I was ready to deal with.

Derek seemed to sense my retreat, his gaze softening, but not in a way that made it easier. He didn't seem angry, or confused, or even disappointed. Just… patient. Too patient.

"Last night," he said quietly, still watching me closely, like he was waiting for me to crack or give him permission to say the next thing. "Was good Mer. It was - "

I glanced up at him, meeting his gaze. The look on his face was open, his guard completely un-done.

Something in me recoiled. Maybe too much has been lost. Lost time, lost trust, lost dreams.

"It was good but-" I started but stopped myself.

"We have Mia and you weren't expecting this to happen" Derek finished. Somehow it seemed like he read my mind. He spoke to me almost robotic, like he guessed what I was about to say next and he already accepted that I was going to let him down.

I nodded, the weight of his words settling heavy in the space between us. His voice had a familiar calmness to it, but it felt like a defense mechanism—something to keep him from feeling too much, from giving me the opportunity to hurt him.

"Yeah," I finally said, my voice barely above a whisper. "We have Mia and it's complicated."

The silence stretched again, but this time it was different. This felt like an unspoken agreement—something we both understood but didn't know how to say. We weren't just two people tangled in a night of tequila and whatever-we-wanted-to-call-it. We had history. We had things we couldn't erase, things we couldn't un-do.

Derek ran a hand through his hair, his gaze dropping to the bed, the light shifting in the room as the morning sun filtered in. "I didn't mean for it to be this messy," he said, more to himself than to me. "I never meant for any of it to be this messy."

I couldn't help but laugh softly, a humorless, almost bitter sound. "Well, it's been messy for years, Derek. Last night, it was us. We couldn't do things the right way even if we tried. We should stop trying to pretend anything will ever be normal."

He winced at my words, and I instantly regretted them. I wasn't trying to be cruel—I was just tired. Tired of pretending I wasn't still tangled in everything we had, everything we hadn't fixed, everything I was too scared to fix.

"I'm not pretending," he said, his voice soft but firm. "I believe in us Meredith. In our family together. Clearly, there are still feelings on both sides or at least I think-"

His honesty hit me like a wave, sweeping away all the walls I'd spent so long building up around myself. "There are feelings on both sides" I admitted quietly, cutting him off, my eyes falling to the blanket, avoiding the weight of his gaze.

"Are you ready to try this?"

I took a deep breath, feeling the air in the room suddenly feel too thick, too suffocating. His words were a confession, but they were also a challenge. And I wasn't sure if I was ready to rise to it.

"I don't know if I'm ready for any of this," I whispered, pulling the blanket tighter around myself.

Derek didn't move. He didn't try to touch me or offer any comforting words. He just stayed where he was, still and waiting. Like he understood, like he knew what it was like to feel too much and too little all at once.

"Maybe we don't have to figure it all out right now," he said finally, his voice quieter now. "Maybe we just... take a step back. Let it breathe. Let us breathe. But we can't keep pretending this doesn't exist, Mer. Not anymore."

I swallowed, the lump in my throat refusing to go away. The truth of it was too simple, too raw. We couldn't keep pretending we didn't feel the pull, the electricity that had always been there between us. But the consequences... the consequences were too damn big.

"Yeah," I whispered. "Maybe you're right."

We both knew the unspoken truth that lingered between us—the fact that nothing was ever truly simple with Derek and me. And now, even after everything, I wasn't sure it ever would be.

He moved to kiss my forehead and I let him.

"We have a daughter who is just getting used to having a dad around. I don't want to confuse her or rush anything." he told me.

I nodded and we sat staring at each other for a bit "Derek, we didn't use protection last night." I told him quietly after some time.

Derek nodded like he already knew.

"I'm not on birth control. There hasn't really been a need for me to be and I didn't ask you to wear a condom."
"I didn't offer it" Derek supplied. We were both left to our own thoughts on that one. We've been in this mess before. I didn't exactly want to repeat it but it also wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. Derek didn't seem fazed by the potential consequence either.

"Do you want breakfast?" I asked after a beat.

Derek grinned at me.

His grin was a little crooked, the corners of his mouth lifting in that way that always made my heart do an awkward little flip. It was almost like he'd forgotten the heavy conversation we'd just had. Or maybe he was just trying to lighten the air—either way, it was a moment of relief.

"Breakfast sounds good," he said, his voice warm and easy, as if we hadn't just crossed a line we could never uncross.

I didn't move at first. I just sat there, feeling the weight of everything hang between us like a fog. It was easier to talk about breakfast than to keep diving into the mess of everything we hadn't said. It wasn't even the idea of breakfast that sounded appealing—it was the normalcy of it. The routine. The things we could control, even if it felt like the rest of our lives were slipping through our fingers.

I finally untangled myself from the blankets, my feet hitting the floor with a soft thud, and I stood up, trying to shake off the lingering fog of last night. "I think there's some eggs in the fridge," I said, my voice a little steadier now. "And maybe some bacon… or cereal if you're desperate."

Derek chuckled, the sound a welcome distraction. "I'll take eggs and bacon, definitely."

I smiled despite myself, the tension easing just a bit. I pulled out clothes from my drawer as Derek dressed back in his boxers from the night before. If I remembered correctly his jeans were downstairs. As I moved toward the kitchen, I heard him follow me, his footsteps light on the floor. He didn't say anything, but I felt him there, his presence somehow grounding.

As I pulled out the ingredients, I couldn't stop thinking about what we'd said, what had been left unsaid. The night, the pull between us, the consequences of what we'd done. The reality of everything hit me harder now, more than it had when we were wrapped up in each other. There was Mia to think about, the future to think about.

I cracked the eggs into the pan, the sizzle filling the quiet of the room. Derek stood by the counter, leaning against it, watching me with that same quiet intensity. The way he was looking at me now was different—softer, but also more knowing.

"I don't want to screw this up but I also don't want to not try this. We've been apart for almost 5 years. I don't - I don't want to waste anymore time when I know what you are to me ," he said quietly, his voice just low enough that I wasn't sure if he meant for me to hear it.

I didn't turn to look at him, but I felt his words settle inside me. "Neither do I." The simple truth was just that. We were on the same page.

I stirred the eggs, the sound of the spatula scraping the pan oddly soothing. There was no rush to fill the silence now. We didn't need to say anything else. Not yet, anyway.

Derek came up behind me, wrapping his arms around me from behind. I couldn't help but settle into his embrace. He turned me towards him and I leaned in and kissed him deeply. It felt so good. So normal.

When I pulled away, he looked at me softly. "Can we spend today together?" he asked.

I nodded. Derek's hands roamed my body settling around my waist before bringing my lips back to his.

We could spend this day together and just see where things went.

We spent Saturday together playing house at my dad and Susan's place. We went grocery shopping, Derek cooked me dinner, we had sex again, to the outside world we looked like a perfectly normal couple. Mia Facetimed me and Derek watched without appearing on camera. I didn't want my dad and Susan to know…yet.

Mia spoke animatedly about the ocean and the aquariums Susan took her to. At one point, my dad took Mia to do something and Susan appeared on the video.

"Meredith, tell Derek we say hello" Susan told me pointedly. My mouth opened to respond "Are you forgetting about the security camera your dad installed last year. I know he spent the night and he's there now." she told me. She didn't look happy but we would cross that bridge when we got there.

Sunday, Derek returned to work and called me when he got a break. I spent the majority of the day cleaning and studying.

"I signed my official contract with the hospital," Derek told me. He didn't appear thrilled or bothered.

"And you're happy?" I asked. I was nervous he would resent this even though we both know it's the right thing. I'm not sure how serious he was about staying in Seattle before he found out about Mia.

"Yes. Seattle is where my family is and I want to be with my family." He told me simply.

I smiled at the sound of his voice, the steady assurance in it. There was something oddly comforting about hearing him say "family" like that. Maybe it was the way he said it, like he meant it—not just referring to Mia and me as part of his life, but as part of his future

"Good," I said, my voice soft but sure. I meant it. There was something about having him so certain of where he was, of what he wanted, that anchored me. Even if I wasn't sure where I stood in the grand scheme of things.

"Let's go to dinner tonight," Derek continued. "We still have another day or so before Mia's home. I want to take advantage of it."

His voice was casual, like he had already decided this was happening, and I realized that, in a way, he had.

"Yeah," I said, pulling my phone from my pocket and glancing at the time. "Dinner sounds good"

"I'll make a reservation for us. I want to do this right."

I could feel the undertone in his words, like he was trying to set something in motion, trying to take control of the narrative between us. And I didn't know whether to fight it or just let it happen. I wanted to believe in this, whatever it was, but I also didn't want to fool myself.

"Alright," I said quietly, my fingers tracing the rim of the coffee mug in front of me. "I'll be ready."

Derek, true to his text, picked me up right on time. He was grinning in a red button down shirt. I was glad I dressed up for the occasion in a black dress with heels. I even put mascara on and blew out my hair.

"You look beautiful" he told me, cocking his head to the side, giving me the look, our look.

"So," I said, slipping into the passenger seat and buckling in, "where are we going? I'm ready to be impressed."

Derek slid into the driver's seat, glancing over at me with a grin that could probably light up the whole street. "A little spot in town, it's close to the hospital. I've never been but a colleague of mine gave me the recommendation."

I raised an eyebrow, "You asked around for a good date spot"

"I did," he replied with a smirk, starting the engine.

The easy confidence in his voice made my chest tighten in a good way. There was something about him when he was sure of himself, when he knew exactly what he wanted. And right now, he was clear about what he wanted: this—whatever this was between us.

"You're serious about this, aren't you?" I asked, turning my head to look at him as he pulled out of the driveway. The question felt different now. Not so much an interrogation, but more of a realization.

Derek glanced at me, his expression softening, but he kept his eyes on the road. "I've never been more serious about anything," he said, his voice steady.

His words lingered in the air, and I could feel that tug in my chest again. That thing between us, the thing I had spent so long pretending wasn't there. The thing that always pulled me back to him, no matter how many times I told myself to move on.

I exhaled slowly, a little surprised by the clarity in his voice. "Okay," I said, my tone a little quieter now, but steady. "Then let's see where it goes."

We drove in comfortable silence for a few minutes, the soft hum of the engine filling the space between us. I glanced out the window, watching the city pass by, but my thoughts were on Derek. On how, despite everything, we were here—together, trying this. And I wasn't going to let the uncertainty ruin it.

When Derek pulled into a small, charming restaurant with string lights twinkling outside, I knew immediately this wasn't just any dinner. This was his way of showing me he wasn't playing games. That he was serious.

I turned to him as he parked the car, my smile returning. "It's a cute spot"

He grinned back, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "I aim to please."

As we got out of the car, I felt a flutter of anticipation, but this time, I welcomed it. I wasn't nervous—I was ready. Ready to take this step, ready to explore whatever was between us. We walked side by side into the restaurant, the door swinging shut behind us, and just like that, it felt like this was something we could actually do. Together.

Derek ordered a bottle of wine and we shared small plates. We reminisced about our past - not the parts with Amelia - he still seemed hesitant to go there to let me in, but our summer he let me touch.

His hand rested on my knee as he watched me with a smile on his face.

"You're staring at me" I told him as we ate dessert. He barely touched it as his full attention seemed to be on me. Derek was always good at that.

"I'm in love with you," he replied. I blushed. It was odd how your life could change so quickly, but if anyone knew that it was Derek and I.
"This doesn't feel real," I told him truthfully.

"It doesn't" he agreed. "I don't know how I spent five years of my life without you."

I looked down, trying to find the right words, but nothing seemed adequate. How do you explain the kind of love that's so deep, it feels like it's always been there, even when you didn't know it?

"You spent five years of your life trying to forget me," I said softly, I knew it was the truth.

Derek's hand tightened on knee, his thumb brushing over my skin. "I didn't forget you. I just... I tried to move on. I thought I had to, but the whole time, I was just waiting for you to come back."

I swallowed the lump in my throat, feeling like my heart might explode. It was the kind of confession I never expected. We had both spent so much time apart, so many years tangled in the mess of our lives, and yet here we were—back together, in this moment, as if none of it had ever happened.

"But we're here now," he continued, his voice soft, but full of conviction. "And I'm not going anywhere."

I met his gaze, the vulnerability in his eyes catching me off guard. "I don't think I can go anywhere either," I whispered.

Derek smiled then, the kind of smile that made me believe everything would be okay. "Good," he said. "Because I'm not letting you go again."

I leaned in, pressing my lips to his.

He deepened the kiss slowly, as if savoring it—like he knew this moment was fragile, something both of us had waited for, even if we hadn't fully realized it at the time. When we finally pulled away, his forehead rested against mine, and I could feel the soft, steady rhythm of his breath mixing with mine.

"I missed this," he murmured, his words barely above a whisper. "I missed you."

"I know," I whispered back. "I missed you too. I didn't realize how much until now."

It was strange, but in some way, it felt like nothing had changed, even though everything had. We were both older, scarred by time and decisions, but there was still this pull between us, undeniable and magnetic. I didn't want to fight it. I wasn't sure I could anymore.

"You're not scared?" he asked, his thumb now tracing small circles on the back of my hand.

I took a deep breath. "I think I'm more scared of what will happen if we don't try again. Of what I'll regret if I let this slip through my fingers."

He smiled, and it was soft, understanding. "We'll figure it out," he said, his voice a quiet promise. "Together."

I nodded, the warmth of his touch grounding me, the certainty of his words wrapping around me like a blanket.

The waiter came over, breaking the quiet moment, but neither of us pulled away. Derek didn't move his hand from mine, and I didn't want him to. For once, it felt like we didn't need to explain ourselves to anyone or rush through what was happening between us. We could just… be.

"Do you want to get out of here?" he asked, his eyes mischievous.

I raised an eyebrow, a smile tugging at my lips. "Where to?"

"Wherever you want," he said with a shrug. "I'd do anything with you Meredith Grey"

And the rest is between Derek, Seattle, and myself.

AN: So I'm sure some of you are surprised right now that I'm giving them their shot. Enjoy it because we haven't reached our happy ending yet. There is still a lot for these two to work through and they are moving too fast. However, Derek and Meredith can't stay away from each other and to write them doing this slow and steady and choosing the mature option, just isn't them. They still have a massive elephant in the room which is Derek's inability to discuss his sister with Meredith. It's going to cause problems very soon. Please review!