"You're here," he said, his voice almost too soft. "I didn't think you'd show."

Derek closed the door behind them, and for a moment, everything was quiet. The only sounds were the faint hum of the refrigerator and the soft thump of the dog's paws on the hardwood floors. Meredith glanced around, feeling the weight of the decision she had just made, and yet, somehow, not regretting it.

"So, uh, this is happening?" Meredith said, her voice a mixture of disbelief and something else—something closer to hope than she was ready to admit.

Derek's lips quirked into a small smile as he turned to face her. He didn't speak right away, just studied her, as if trying to gauge what she was thinking. He knew this was risky. The whole situation was risky. But he couldn't seem to stay away.

"I wasn't planning on you showing up either," he said softly, his voice teasing, but with a hint of seriousness. "But here you are, and here I am, so…"

Meredith raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. "So you're just going to let me stand here and make all the decisions?"

"Maybe I like watching you make them," Derek replied, stepping closer again, his gaze darkening slightly. "You have a way of keeping me on my toes."

Meredith rolled her eyes, but there was a small smile tugging at her lips. "Don't flatter yourself, Shepherd." She took a step back, almost as if trying to put more distance between them, though her heart was already racing. "I hate you, remember?"

"Sure," Derek said, his smile widening as he reached out, his hand brushing against hers, "But you keep coming back. I think that says more than your words do."

Her breath caught for a moment as his touch sent a shiver through her, and she quickly pulled her hand away, though it was hard to ignore the way her body reacted to him. "This is stupid," she muttered, more to herself than him. "We shouldn't be doing this."

Derek stepped closer, lowering his voice. "Then why are you here?"

Meredith paused, her throat tight, the words sticking. She opened her mouth to respond but couldn't find the right answer, and instead, she just looked at him, the overwhelming familiarity of it all making her heart ache.

"I don't know," she said finally, exhaling a shaky breath. "I hate that you still have this effect on me."

"I know," Derek murmured, his voice soft but full of understanding. "I hate it too. But maybe... maybe we don't have to fight it anymore."

Meredith's mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, but one thing was clear: she couldn't keep pretending like this wasn't pulling her in. Not anymore. Not when standing here, in his presence, felt so much like coming home.

Her eyes met his, and for a moment, the world outside of this room disappeared. It was just the two of them again, like it always had been, like it was always meant to be.

"Just tonight," she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. "No explanations. No drama."

Derek nodded, his thumb brushing over the back of her hand before he squeezed it lightly. "Just tonight," he agreed, stepping even closer now, his breath warm against her skin. "But you know, Meredith, we've always been good at ignoring the rules."

She smirked, but there was no hiding the vulnerability in her eyes. "Yeah, well... tonight's one of those nights where I'm not sure the rules even matter anymore."

Derek smiled then, a real, slow smile, before he leaned in to kiss her. This time, there was no hesitation. No second-guessing. Just the shared need between them, undeniable and unspoken.

When he pulled back, he rested his forehead against hers, their breaths mingling in the quiet room. "So… where do we go from here?"

Meredith's fingers traced the line of his jaw as she considered it, her mind still racing. "We don't go anywhere. Not yet. We just... stay in this moment. Let it be what it is."

He nodded, his eyes filled with a tenderness she hadn't seen in a long time. "I can do that."

"Good," she replied, her voice steady but quiet. "Because tonight, I'm not ready for anything else."

With a small, content smile, Derek kissed the top of her head, and they stood there, together, neither one of them saying a word, just letting the silence settle around them like the calm before a storm they couldn't control.

The stillness between them stretched on, comfortable yet charged, the weight of unspoken words hanging in the air. Meredith felt her heart pounding in her chest, but this time, it wasn't out of fear. It was the kind of tension that came from wanting something more, something bigger than either of them had the courage to admit.
Derek finally broke the silence, his voice quiet but steady. "You know… we could pretend like this is all normal. Like we're just two people who aren't tangled up in history and complications."
Meredith chuckled softly, her breath tickling his skin as she pulled back just enough to look at him. "Yeah, that sounds like a great idea. Let's pretend we're not both just one bad decision away from ruining everything."
Derek smiled, his eyes sparkling with that familiar mix of charm and mischief. "Well, I'm pretty good at pretending," he said, his thumb tracing the edge of her jaw in slow, deliberate movements. "Maybe I'll pretend that tonight, we don't have to figure it all out."
Meredith's heart skipped a beat at the simplicity in his words. He wasn't asking for answers. He wasn't asking for forever. He was just asking for this moment. And, against every instinct that screamed at her to run, she couldn't bring herself to leave.
"I don't know if I can do that," she whispered, her voice softer than she intended. "I don't know if I can just let go of everything... the hospital, the kids, the past..."
"You don't have to," Derek said gently, lifting her chin to meet his gaze. "Not right now. We don't have to solve it all. We don't even have to talk about it. Just… be here with me."
Meredith's chest tightened at the tenderness in his eyes. She had wanted this for so long. The simplicity of it. The quiet understanding between them that no one else could see.
"Okay," she finally murmured, almost surprised at how easily the word slipped out. "Okay, we'll just be here. Tonight."
Derek's smile widened as he leaned in, kissing her slowly, as though trying to convey everything he felt in that single, soft touch. Meredith melted into him, her body responding without hesitation, and for a moment, everything else faded away. There were no responsibilities, no expectations. Just them. Just the two of them, tangled up in the stillness of the room.
As they pulled apart, Derek rested his forehead against hers once again, his fingers grazing the back of her neck. "I've missed this," he whispered, his breath warm against her skin.
Meredith closed her eyes, feeling a lump form in her throat. She had missed it too—missed him, missed them, more than she was willing to admit. "Me too," she murmured.
"But we can't keep doing this, Derek," she added quietly, her voice thick with uncertainty. "Hiding from everyone. From ourselves. It's not fair to anyone."
He nodded, his expression serious now, but his hand never left her neck. "I know. But right now, it feels like the only thing I can do. The only thing I want to do."
Meredith bit her lip, considering his words. She wasn't ready to make any grand decisions, not tonight. But she couldn't deny the pull she felt toward him. It was undeniable. She leaned back slightly, eyes locking with his.
"Okay," she said again, her voice more certain this time. "But this… whatever this is… it has to stay between us for now. No one else can know."
Derek's lips curved into a soft, understanding smile. "I'm okay with that. As long as it's real."
"It's real," Meredith said, her voice steady as she spoke the truth she had been hiding from for so long. She moved closer, pressing herself against him as if to seal the promise. "But don't make me regret this, Derek."
He kissed her again, this time deeper, his hands moving to her waist, pulling her closer as if to show her just how much he was willing to risk. He was already in too deep, and maybe, just maybe, she was, too.
"I won't," he promised against her lips. "I swear."
And in that moment, Meredith realized she wasn't sure where this would lead. But, for the first time in a long time, she didn't care. Because, tonight, with him, she was willing to let go of the fear.
For once, she wasn't worried about what came next. She was simply here, with Derek, and that was enough.