Author's Note: This is a sequel to my previous fanfic "Nothing Else Matters." If you haven't read that yet, you may want to so that everything here makes sense. You could probably follow most things, but maybe not all. Oh, and I live for reviews - good and bad (as long as the bad are constructive). So if you read this, please let me know your thoughts! I'll even try to write back:-) And so, without further delay, here's chapter 1. Enjoy!
"Derek…can't move…need to get up…" Meredith argued as she tried to wiggle free from the arm wrapped around her.
Derek stirred slightly, but then tightened his grip.
"Der…work…need…" Meredith attempted again, but it was useless. The earplugs used to drown out her snoring apparently were also effective at filtering out her voice. And to be honest, she wasn't putting up much of a fight. No nudging or squirming, just whispers. She didn't mind being forced to linger in bed for a few more minutes with him. The steady, quiet hum of his breathing provided a meditative calm before what would almost certainly be a hectic day at the hospital.
Meredith sighed and snuggled closer against him. No one should have to get up and get ready for work while it's still dark outside, she rationalized. It should be too early to get up anyway. And ten more minutes in bed probably wouldn't make a big difference in her arrival time at Seattle Grace…
This is fine. This is better than fine. This is good. Bright and shiny even…
Meredith let her eyes adjust to the dim light in their bedroom. Their bedroom. The concept of it still felt surreal to her, even after three months of living together. Meredith had never expected that her decision to move out of her youth hostel with Izzie, Alex, and Cristina and into her own apartment could make such a big difference. It had been an impulsive decision – she didn't even tell Derek about it until she had the keys in hand, but Derek instantly agreed to move in with her, and within days they were choosing wall colors and furniture and divvying up closet space. There was a sense of permanence to it all – that their life was no longer being shuffled in the confines of an overnight bag or shelved in the single drawer set aside in a place decidedly not theirs. But this…this was their fresh start…
Stable.
Predictable.
And Meredith liked that. She liked that a lot.
The alarm clock began another round of chirping, notifying Meredith that her second snooze session was over. She angrily reached over and slapped the off button, furious that it was discouraging her from staying in bed.
"Are you going in this morning?" Derek grumbled, reaching up to remove an earplug before repositioning his arm around Meredith.
"You're awake?" Meredith asked, surprised.
"Mmmm-hmmm," he moaned, nuzzling her neck. His breath was moist and heavy against her, and she felt a tingle run through her spine. She closed her eyes and savored the sensation. "I've been awake since the first time your alarm went off," he confessed.
"So you knew I was trying to get up earlier?" she inquired accusingly.
"Yeah," he admitted, kissing his way down her collarbone. "I just didn't want you to get out of bed yet."
"Derek…I need to go to work…"
"You can be late," he argued, pressing himself against her.
"No, I can't. I have interns waiting for me. And morning rounds and surgeries, and you…you have all of that too and you're not playing fairly right now," she pouted. She unwittingly ground against him a little as she tried to decide whether or not to give in to his temptation. She loved waking up with him every morning, but she hated the days when her schedule required her to leave before he did. He didn't seem to appreciate her need to get to work on time. "Wasn't last night enough? Are you ever satisfied?"
"I could be in about ten to fifteen minutes," he teased as he worked his hands across her body, tracing each and every curve through the soft fabric of her flannel pajama bottoms and cotton tee.
Meredith sighed loudly, the conflicted emotions escaping through her breath.
"Or five to ten minutes if you're going to be like that," he continued, allowing his hands to hover gently on her breasts, tugging on her nipples through her shirt.
"Or you could wait until I get through with my shift tonight and have more time to spend with you," Meredith reluctantly argued. She really was running late now. First it was the snooze button and now Derek was being incredibly persuasive. And this morning, running so late, she did not need persuasive.
"I suppose," Derek relented in frustration. He released his grip on her and rolled over onto his back. "I'm holding you to that, though," he insisted. He had known all along that she was running too late to have sex this morning, but he liked to test how much influence he had with her. Apparently, it wasn't as much as he would like.
"I hope so," Meredith replied as she sat up and felt the blood resume circulating through her stiff limbs. She interlaced her fingers and stretched them over her head while a large yawn escaped her lips. "And I promise…I'll make it worth the wait," she soothed as she leaned over and kissed him, allowing her lips to linger against his a little longer than they should for being in such a hurry.
Derek watched as she stumbled toward the bathroom to shower. She was always a little clumsier than usual first thing in the morning – a recent discovery made possible by the regularity of waking up together every day. Since Derek had been promoted to co-chief of surgery with Richard, he had aligned his schedule with Meredith's as much as possible, and he loved the fact that they were starting to build routines together.
Derek listened as the shower turned on, announcing the flow of water through its creaking pipes. It was his cue to get out of bed and start the coffee so that it was ready for Meredith. He slid out of bed, and set off towards the kitchen. The contrast between the soft bedroom carpet and the cold hardwood floors always shocked him a little in the morning, but not in a bad way. He loved everything about the apartment. It took his breath away the moment he saw it. He was amazed that Meredith had found something so perfect for them, and he understood completely why she felt so confident in choosing it without consulting him first. The location was perfect for them – walking distance from the hospital and Joe's, and it was on the top floor of a building that overlooked Elliot Bay to the west and the mountains to the north. With the large windows aligning several walls, he was able to see the best that Seattle had to offer – the ferryboats traveling back and forth, the Seattle skyline, and the beautiful natural landscape. It was large enough for them to live comfortably – much more comfortably than they ever could in the trailer, yet it was small enough that it still felt cozy and not at all excessive. He loved that even from the kitchen he could hear the sound of the shower and vaguely smell Meredith's lavender conditioner while he made breakfast. It was his favorite smell in the world, and he felt a little disappointed covering it up each morning with the stronger scent of freshly ground hazelnut coffee. But he learned early that coffee in the morning was important to Meredith's temperament, especially with an early shift, and he was happy to provide that for her – that, and breakfast. At first she insisted that it was too much – that she could just get coffee in the lobby and that cold pizza or muffins provided a sufficient start to her day. But gradually Derek wore her down, and even if she hadn't become a Muesli fan, she could at least stomach yogurt and granola or oatmeal with brown sugar and sliced bananas.
Today would probably be a yogurt day. He assumed Meredith was in too much of a rush to sit and have oatmeal with him.
"What time is your shift today?" Meredith called from the bathroom shortly after turning off the shower. He heard the bathroom door open and felt the humidity level of the apartment change a little from the influx of steam as she relocated to the bedroom.
"I'll probably be in around six," Derek responded casually as he searched for a clean travel mug for Meredith.
"Surgeries?"
"At least one this morning. Why, do you want in?" He found a silver colored mug in the back of a honey colored kitchen cabinet, and pulled it out from the hodgepodge collection of cups they'd amassed in mixing their belongings. One of these days, they'd have to go shopping for a matching set, Derek thought, as he snaked his hand around the various items to withdraw the mug.
"Depends on what other surgeries are available," Meredith shot back, leaning her head out from the bedroom door. Her hair hung next to her in long, wet clumps, and he could tell she wasn't wearing anything other than a bright yellow towel. She grinned at him as she worked a second towel through her locks, patting them dry. His ego hated the thought of her finding a surgery more interesting than his, and she knew it. "You're not the only neurosurgeon at Seattle Grace, you know. Weller or Krichek might have something for me."
"I may not be the only neurosurgeon," he commented as he set down a cup of strawberry yogurt next to her coffee mug, "but clearly I'll have the best surgeries. It's one of the perks of being the department head and Co-Chief of Surgery," he insisted cockily. It had only been a few months since the chief had asked Derek to split job responsibilities with him in an effort to smooth the eventual transition, but Derek already seemed to enjoy the power.
"That may be," Meredith started with an amused tone as she moved back in the room to dress, "but they actually are letting me start to do some procedures unlike certain nameless chiefs who would rather teach by demonstration than hand over the scalpel to a neurosurgical resident."
"Oh," Derek said, a little caught off guard. He walked towards the bedroom so he wouldn't have to talk so loudly. "They let you do the procedures?" he asked, genuinely surprised. It wasn't that shocking, he guessed. Meredith was exceptionally talented and her learning curve was steep, but she hadn't ever mentioned that before. Now he was feeling guilty.
"Sometimes," Meredith nodded as she pulled on a long-sleeved white tee that was a little sheer.
"I see," Derek mused. "Well, maybe I'll have to let you assist with my craniotomy this morning. That is, if you're not doing some advanced procedure for someone else."
"I think I can make myself available," Meredith grinned before rushing back toward the bathroom to snag her toothbrush and toothpaste.
"And do you know how you can express your gratitude for the opportunity?" Derek asked as he started making the bed.
Meredith leaned out of the bathroom and arched her eyebrows expectantly while she brushed her teeth. Bits of foam rimmed the corners of her mouth.
"Sex," Derek answered. "Hot, nasty sex." He wagged his eyebrows suggestively at her, drawing emphasis to his dark blue eyes.
Meredith spat out the toothpaste and rinsed her mouth quickly. "Dr. Shepherd, I believe that that would constitute sexual harassment," she teased.
"I think we crossed that line a while ago," Derek shot back as he straightened out their navy blue blanket and soft green duvet.
Meredith laughed in agreement as she pulled on her tennis shoes. "Well, the first step to fixing a problem is admitting you have one," she remarked.
Derek looked at her, feigning shock. "Are you saying this is a problem?"
"No," Meredith sighed as she stood up. "Just as long as you don't make similar deals with anyone else."
"Not a chance," he replied.
"Good," she murmured as she leaned in to kiss him. She ran her fingers through his wild, dark hair as she explored his mouth with her minty-tasting tongue. He reactively wrapped his arms around her lean body, closing all gaps of air between them.
"I need to go," she said, pulling away breathless. "I'll see you in surgery?"
"Yeah, I'll page you when I get there," Derek confirmed as he escorted her towards the door of the apartment. He passed her the coffee mug and yogurt before kissing her goodbye.
The front door closed gently as Meredith left, leaving Derek all alone in the apartment. He sighed contentedly as he walked back into the kitchen, ready to make his own breakfast and watch the ferryboats through the window before getting ready to work.
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"Three months," Izzie commented as she caught up to Meredith. Both women were wrapping up paperwork from their morning rounds, but they always managed to find a way to break from their interns and chat.
"We've just been busy, Izzie," Meredith replied as she set a patient's chart on the nurse's station counter. "Derek's been working a lot with the promotion, and I've been…busy…"
"Do you not want us to see the apartment?" Izzie asked, concerned. "I mean, if that's it, just say so. I'll back off. Really. I just thought that you'd invite us over to see it once – for a housewarming party if nothing else."
"A housewarming party?" Meredith asked, slightly annoyed.
"Yeah. You can have one for apartments, too. It is after all, your first apartment together," Izzie explained.
"A housewarming party," Meredith repeated flatly.
"I can help with the food – you wouldn't have to cook anything. I just thought it would be cool to see where you and Derek live…together…doing your couple-y things…you know, like a couple…you and Derek," Izzie insisted as she watched Meredith scrawl a few notes and close the chart.
"I'll talk to Derek and see what he thinks," Meredith agreed finally as she rifled through the papers and decided on her next task.
"Oh, yay! Parties are so much fun," Izzie beamed.
Meredith turned her head so that Izzie wouldn't see her rolling her eyes. She hadn't meant to keep her friends away so long. She had always planned to have them over at some point, but there was something about the apartment being exclusively hers and Derek's that made her hesitate. It was their own private sanctuary away from everyone else, and in some irrational way, inviting anyone else over seemed to tarnish the purity of it.
"I'm not making any promises. I'm just saying that I'll ask Derek," Meredith said.
"Ask me what?" Derek interrupted, walking up behind them.
Meredith spun around and stared at his cleanly shaved face and well-gelled hair, admiring the contrast from his appearance only a couple hours earlier. Meredith could tell by his neatly coordinated street clothes and brown leather satchel that he had just arrived for his shift. He hadn't even stopped by his office yet.
"Well," Meredith blushed. "Izzie was wondering when we're going to have our housewarming party."
"Three months. You've been living together three months, and we haven't seen the place yet. We're starting to wonder what's going on," Izzie added.
"Of course," Derek concurred. "It's something we've been meaning to do for a while, now, haven't we, Mere," he explained, winking subtly at Meredith. "Does tomorrow night work for everyone?"
Meredith's eyes grew large and began to glare at Derek. He hadn't even given her a chance to talk him out of it.
"Tomorrow? Yeah, tomorrow is great! I'll spread the word," Izzie bubbled.
"Small, Izzie. Seriously. I get approval of all invites," Meredith insisted, her eyes sending a less subtle warning in Izzie's direction as she recalled the last party that Izzie had coordinated.
"I know. I promise. Only inner circle types," Izzie reassured. "I should get going. I'll update you later with the guest list!"
"Great," Meredith replied half-heartedly.
"Goodbye, Dr. Stevens," Derek responded politely before redirecting his attention to Meredith. "And why are you so grumpled this morning? Are you upset about the party?"
"I'm fine," Meredith responded, clearly pouting.
"It will be fun, and we can't keep the place all to ourselves forever," he explained, somehow reading her mind.
She didn't look entirely convinced.
"And how often do you get to see George, Alex, Izzie, and Cristina outside of work these days? We'll invite them and maybe Bailey and the chief," he continued.
"Will you invite Mark?" Meredith asked curiously. Mark and Derek had made tremendous progress in repairing their relationship in the previous months, and while it still wasn't what it once was, they seemed to be on amicable terms.
"Sure," Derek agreed.
"Okay," Meredith sighed, smiling a little. She did miss hanging out with that group since moving out of the house.
"It will be fun. I promise," Derek grinned as he ran his hand through her hair and kissed her forehead quickly, but sweetly. He generally avoided public displays of affection since being promoted to co-chief, but every once in a while he would make an exception, especially if he was in street clothes or in an elevator or stairwell. Or if he was in his office – the office was typically a safe zone for him.
"Surgery?" Meredith asked, changing the subject.
"Yeah, can you have an intern make sure the patient in 257 is prepped and then meet me in OR-2 in about an hour?" Derek responded, seeming to regain his focus on work.
"Sure," Meredith smiled before reaching for the phone to page an intern.
Derek returned the smile, allowing it to reach the corners of his eyes, and then set out for his office to see how flexible his schedule would be for the day. If they were going to have a party at their apartment in less than 48 hours, he wanted it to be a bigger celebration than a mere housewarming party, and he would need some time to plan.