Can't Help Falling in Love

48

"Meredith."

"Go away," she swatted at the soft voice tickling her ear two mornings later. After a moment, she felt the hand return to her hip.

"No."

"Sleeping," she argued.

"But it's Christmas," her twenty seven year old fiancé whined.

"Seriously?" she asked, burrowing further into the covers. "You're whining. More than my students."

"But it's Christmas," Derek repeated, pulling the covers off of her.

"It's still dark," Meredith murmured.

"Okay, you haven't even opened your eyes," Derek said. "It could be ten o'clock."

"But you always wake up stupid early on Christmas," Meredith said.

"It's Shepherd tradition."

"Shepherds are stupid."

"Next Christmas you will be a Shepherd," Derek said, rolling her onto her back and pinning her beneath his body.

"Next Christmas you'll still be an idiot," Meredith said, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Which means you'll be married to an idiot," Derek whispered.

"Hmmm...at least he's hot," Meredith smiled.

Derek laughed as he pressed his lips against hers. "Merry Christmas," he whispered.

"Merry Christmas, Der," she replied. "I love you."

"I love you too," Derek breathed.

"Presents?" Meredith whispered against his lips.

"I thought you said presents could wait until noon," Derek laughed.

"Well, if you're going to wake me up in the middle of the night, I might as well get presents out of it," Meredith sighed.

"Right," Derek said. "You'll get presents."

Meredith smiled. "I'll be right back," she said, kissing him quickly before she slid into the bathroom.

As she ran a hairbrush through her hair, she stopped for a moment and looked at herself in the mirror. A year ago she'd spent Christmas here in the same way, waking up in Derek's arms and arguing about it being too early. She knew what to expect from a Christmas with the Shepherds, but there was something different about this year. Now she was engaged to Derek, she was sure that she would be with him forever. She smiled as she ran her thumb over the engagement ring, knowing that this Christmas would be even better than last.

"Mer?" Derek's voice came from the other side of the door. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah," she smiled as she opened the door and pressed her lips against his. "Let's go have Christmas."

Derek smiled as he took her hand and pulled her into the hall. "You're excited about Christmas," he said.

Meredith shrugged. "I am," she said. "This is my first real Christmas."

"You were here last year for Christmas," Derek frowned.

"I know," she nodded. "But it was different. Now we're engaged, and I'm going to be here every Christmas for the rest of my life. It's different than it was last year. So I'm more excited."

She looked up at Derek as he gazed down at her through hooded eyes. She loved the way he looked at her like this, and she couldn't help the way her hand automatically moved into his hair as she pulled his lips down to meet hers. He kissed her softly, nothing more than a kiss that she knew said everything that he didn't have the words to say to her. He held her gently against him, his kiss soft and gentle as she felt completely welcome in his arms, in his home. He rarely kissed her like this, taking the time to just kiss her without the promise of anything more, but she loved it. She loved the gentle way he cupped her cheek in his hand before he moved it to gently move her hair out of her face, his lips all the while working against hers in a soft kiss that told her how much he loved her.