Can't Help Falling in Love

12

Meredith sighed as she opened the bottle of tequila, already needing to feel the need to become numb to this stupid holiday. Maybe she could just move somewhere where there wasn't some stupid day for eating birds and watching football and giving thanks. Lexie and Izzie had both left the night before for their parents' houses, and although Derek had spent the previous night with her, taking advantage of the empty house to have sex on the kitchen table, he'd left early that morning, kissing her goodbye after breakfast and telling her that he'd see her on Friday. He was spending this stupid holiday with his family, and she knocked back her first shot of tequila as she rolled her eyes. Family. She didn't need family. She had her tequila and Izzie's cheesy romance movies, and her pizza was on the way. She could give thanks for alcohol and pizza, she liked them better than her supposed family anyways.

The doorbell rang and Meredith quickly stood, adjusting Derek's Bowdoin sweatshirt as she did so. He'd left it in her room a couple weeks ago, and she'd kidnapped it when she realized how much she loved wearing his clothes, even if they did swim on her.

"How much do I owe you for...Derek?" Meredith frowned as she looked up from her wallet, staring at her boyfriend as he stood in front of her, a pot in his hands.

"Hi Mer," he said with a smile, leaning in to kiss her quickly before moving around her towards the kitchen. "You want to help me bring things in from the car?"

"You..." Meredith frowned as she stared at his retreating back, turning to stare at the still open door before looking back towards the kitchen. "What are you doing here?"

"We're having Thanksgiving," Derek smiled as he came back out from the kitchen, rubbing his hands together. "Come on."

"What..." Meredith frowned as he dragged her out to his car and shoved a warm bowl into her hands. "What is this?"

"Mashed potatoes," Derek smiled as he grabbed a bottle of wine and slammed the door closed behind him. "You can't have Thanksgiving without mashed potatoes."

"But...it's Thanksgiving," Meredith said, feeling like an idiot. She couldn't even put two words together, and her stupid boyfriend wasn't helping her to understand what he was doing.

"I know," Derek laughed as he grabbed a gift bag out of the passenger seat and began walking back towards her house.

"Why aren't you with your family?"

"Because I'm with you."

"But...why?"

Derek smiled as they walked into the kitchen and he took the bowl from her hands, setting it down on the table. "Because," he whispered, pulling her into his arms and pressing a kiss to the tip of her nose. "I didn't want you to be alone."

"Derek," Meredith sighed, pulling back to look at him. "This is really sweet, and I appreciate it, I really do. But you can't give up Thanksgiving with your family because of me. I'm fine. I have my tequila and movies, and...I'm fine."

Derek laughed as he moved towards the stove where the big pot he'd placed the big pot he'd carried in when he arrived. "I'm definitely okay with drinking tequila," he said. "According to Izzie, you're quite the wild thing when you drink tequila. And if our sex when your sober is wild enough, I'm pretty sure that you on tequila will go well beyond any fantasy of mine."

Meredith bit her lower lip as she watched him light candles on the table. "Are you sure?" she asked.

"Of course I'm sure," he said as he popped the cork on the wine.

"I should...I'm in pajamas," Meredith stated.

"You are," Derek nodded. "I think it's cute."

"So I should change, right?" Meredith asked, moving towards the door. "You're supposed to like...dress nicely for Thanksgiving, right?"