You Are In Love

Chapter 8

Meredith woke up the next morning with a pounding head. She felt utterly disgusting. She opened her eyes and looked at the ceiling above the bed. It wasn't her ceiling, it was a ceiling she recognized, but not her ceiling. She sat up, leaning on her elbows and saw Derek at the other side of the trailer, drinking coffee.

"Why am I here?" She asked.

"You don't remember?" He asked without even looking at her.

"Did we-" She started to ask.

"No." He responded quickly. "You were at Joe's, trashed, I wasn't going to just leave you there." He sighed. "Plus it's not like anyone else likes you enough to make sure you don't end up in someone's basement being told to put the lotion on the skin or else it get's the hose again."

"Yea because I'm 'a huge bitch to everyone I meet'" She quoted him.

"Meredith-" He paused when he noticed her wincing. He grabbed the bacon and eggs he had just finished making for her and handed her the plate, a bottle of Gatorade, and a few advil. She quickly swallowed the advil with the gatorade and began eating the breakfast while Derek sat down at the end of the bed. "You are a huge bitch to everyone you meet."

Meredith glared at him.

"What? Were you thinking you weren't? You were specifically told not to work with anyone yesterday and I still heard about four different people you made cry. You are a bitch and that's a fact. I've always known this, and I've never cared. Or I do. I like that you are a bitch, because I'm a bitch too. Hell, I made a nurse cry yesterday." Derek explained.

"Oh." She said. 

"And I like taking care of you. Most other people I have cared for don't see me. When I tried to show any sort of affection, they didn't notice. But you do. I like that." He said quietly.

"Oh." She repeated.

"I don't know where the fight came from the other day, but I called you a mess and maybe you are. But the things that make you a mess are also the things I like about you." He finished.

"Derek-" She sighed. "I like that you are quiet and brooding and a little rude to people. But if you are just those things because you are upset about your breakup-"

Derek laughed lightly, "I've been that way since I can remember."

"So you were completely unaffected by ending things with your fiancé?" Meredith asked.

"I was a little angry, but mostly relieved. I didn't really care if I married her or not. And the wedding she was planning seemed like a big hassle." Derek conceded.

"Then why did you propose?" Meredith asked quietly.

"My sisters. They really liked Addison, so when she started dropping hints, they dragged me to a ring shop, picked one out, and planned the proposal for me." Derek explained.

"That's- terrifying." Meredith replied.

"Yea. There is a reason why I don't actually talk to them anymore." Derek said.

"Probably for the best." Meredith replied. 

"Yea." Derek said.

"So you really don't want to marry her?" Meredith asked. 

"No. But if I ever do wind up wanting to marry someone, you'll be the first one to know." Derek said.

"After your fiancé, obviously." Meredith said. 

"Yes, of course, after her." Derek said.

(Ok so fun story, my brother is proposing to his girlfriend in an hour. and he is the only boy with 4 sisters so this chapter felt extremely topical.)

(and happy birthday @absthesig)