All You Need is Love

Seventeen

"What?" Derek asked as he looked at me.

"Huh?" I ask back dazed. Derek is over cooking dinner for us, tonight we are having chicken marsala.

"You're acting different, I don't know you just seem a little off or maybe you're fine I don't know." He rambles.

"Oh no I um, I don't know I just like looking at you and watching you. I like being in your company or whatever." I try my best to say nonchalantly.

"Hm, I like watching you and being in your company too." He smiles at me. Derek grabs two plates for us as I continue tossing the salad. I add in the Italian dressing and toss it some more.

I feel his presence behind me and then his hands on my hips, his chest flush against my back. I blush at the action and I like it. His nose is smelling my conditioner again and his chin is resting on my shoulder. I lean back against him and then turn around, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"You seem either very relaxed or on edge... I can't tell." He says softly, looking intently into my eyes.

Well that's very true, I'm very relaxed around him but I'm very on edge because the man I'm looking at I have fallen in love with. I've only come to this conclusion about a week ago and I've kept it my dirty little secret. It puts me on edge because I'm not ready to tell him or for him to know.

"I'm relaxed, very relaxed I promise." I smile up at him. He smiles back instantaneously.

"There's that beautiful smile." He says to me and kisses the corner of my lips. I reach up on my tiptoes and hug him tightly to me, I really do love this man. I feel pathetic considering I've only known him for five months but I can't help it. I've spent almost every single day with him these past months and I've enjoyed and loved every minute of it. Loved. That word makes me giggle out loud and he pulls away from me looking into my eyes. "What are you laughing at?" He asks, wanting to join in on the fun.

"I don't know." I say, giggling again.

He kisses me tenderly on the cheek and grabs the plates, moving to the chicken and placing it on our plates. "Dinners ready why don't you go sit down Mer, I'll bring everything over."

"Okay." I say a little too enthusiastically. He looks at me weird and instead I just bite my lip and look elsewhere.

"So how was work today?" He asks as he sits down at the table.

"It was okay. Didn't do anything amazing, just maintained post op patients." I said between bites. "This is good Der." I say, looking up at him. "What?"

"I..." He looks down at his plate. "Never mind, I forgot what I was going to say." He takes another bite of his chicken.

"What'd you do today?" I ask him.

"Well I had some neuro consults I had to do, two of which will be admitted for surgery. Nothing big, if you want to scrub in on one I'll show you the case and when you come round on it you can get it." He smiles at me.

"Derek you know that's not right." I laugh at him.

"I know but you're good Mer, and I love having you scrub in." He smiles back at me.

After dinner I clear the table and clean the pots and pans while Derek sits at the island talking with me.

We sit down outside under the moonlight on the porch. It's nice outside, It's cold but not cold enough to stay inside. Derek and I are sharing a blanket, snuggled up next to each other just talking about anything and everything.

And then I can feel it. His eyes are on me, he's looking at me. And I turn and look at him, he's smiling.

"Meredith." He doesn't ask, he states. "I'm so glad I met you. It's a blessing I did. I don't know what I did to deserve you but I'm glad I do." He leans his head into me, pulling me closer.