. . . this was it . . .
untitled MerDer one-shot. Sometime after Some Kind of Miracle. I like to think, a day or two after Mer gets discharged from the hospital :) Fluff
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Meredith awoke groggily in the middle of the night, sitting up and rubbing her eyes to peer curiously at the alarm clock.
2:55 a.m.
She felt the lack of his presence beside her and saw him, huddled in the chair by the window, through the corner of her eye.
“Derek,” she whispered, her voice husky, thick and molten with sleep.
He turned quickly, suddenly, as if he really had had no inclination of her stirring in the bed without him. “Hey,” he whispered, his heart softening at the sight of her pulling the sheets up lazily against her nude form.
They had made love for hours, damn near all day, and had finally given in to exhaustion. He had watched her fall asleep in his arms and had held her until he was sure she was deep into unconsciousness.
Then he had gotten up, gone downstairs, making himself a sandwich and a big glass of scotch. He had replayed diving into the bay and pulling the love of his life to the surface, blue as the water itself, again and again, until he was sick from it. He had replayed trying to revive her over and over in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. He had replayed Burke and the Chief and Bailey kicking him out. He had replayed the looks of pity and sadness on their faces. He had replayed the desperation at the thought - the mere idea - of having to live his life without her.
And now, here she was. Naked, rumpled, sleepy, tangled in the very sheets they had made frantic love in, staring at him with big, beautiful blue eyes. Haunting him. Tormenting him.
God, he loved her. He knew that now, more than anything, he needed her. He needed her.
And he needed to get used to the fact that he would, eventually, lose her.
But the more she stared at him, fear creeping into her expression that maybe, just maybe, he wouldn’t allow them to get past this, the more he realized there was no other choice.
He loved her. She was everything.
Finding the smile easier than he had imagined, Derek turned from the window, rose to his feet, and crossed to the bed. “Hey.”
She held out her arms as she sleepily, groggily pulled herself up in bed. “Come here.”
“You should sleep.”
Meredith pouted when she saw his red rimmed, darkly-circled blue eyes. “So should you.” She smiled seductively, teasingly. “You need your rest after the day we had.”
It was his turn to smile, although it was sad. Sitting on the bed beside her, he reached out, caressed her cheek. “I love you more than anything.”
Maybe it was the fact that she was exhausted, sore, completely sated. But the tears that filled her eyes were so unexpected, so sudden, she had no defenses to stop them. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” He nodded, his hands reaching out to frame her face. He leaned in until their lips, eyes, noses were inches apart and the fierceness, the intensity of his gaze stole her breath. “You are everything to me.”
More beautiful, brilliant tears shimmered in her eyes as she smiled gracefully despite the frantic beating of her heart. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“Then stop moping and get back in this bed.”
Sighing, his heart aching from the absolute joy of knowing she was alive and well and loved him. And that darkness, that sadness in her eyes finally seemed to be gone. Was he partly responsible for that? God he hoped so. Because he loved her. He really loved her. He wanted to just wrap himself up in her, feed off of her, wallow in her scent and taste and touch and presence. Never had his emotions controlled him so completely.
He pulled back the comforter, slid beneath it and reached for her face in his hands. “Love you,” he whispered as he went in for another kiss.
“Love you,” she murmured, linking her arms around his neck as their lips met.
Nothing was ever going to top this.
No one’s promises were ever going to mean more.
No happiness would ever be greater.
This was it.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Meredith awoke groggily in the middle of the night, sitting up and rubbing her eyes to peer curiously at the alarm clock.
2:55 a.m.
She felt the lack of his presence beside her and saw him, huddled in the chair by the window, through the corner of her eye.
“Derek,” she whispered, her voice husky, thick and molten with sleep.
He turned quickly, suddenly, as if he really had had no inclination of her stirring in the bed without him. “Hey,” he whispered, his heart softening at the sight of her pulling the sheets up lazily against her nude form.
They had made love for hours, damn near all day, and had finally given in to exhaustion. He had watched her fall asleep in his arms and had held her until he was sure she was deep into unconsciousness.
Then he had gotten up, gone downstairs, making himself a sandwich and a big glass of scotch. He had replayed diving into the bay and pulling the love of his life to the surface, blue as the water itself, again and again, until he was sick from it. He had replayed trying to revive her over and over in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. He had replayed Burke and the Chief and Bailey kicking him out. He had replayed the looks of pity and sadness on their faces. He had replayed the desperation at the thought - the mere idea - of having to live his life without her.
And now, here she was. Naked, rumpled, sleepy, tangled in the very sheets they had made frantic love in, staring at him with big, beautiful blue eyes. Haunting him. Tormenting him.
God, he loved her. He knew that now, more than anything, he needed her. He needed her.
And he needed to get used to the fact that he would, eventually, lose her.
But the more she stared at him, fear creeping into her expression that maybe, just maybe, he wouldn’t allow them to get past this, the more he realized there was no other choice.
He loved her. She was everything.
Finding the smile easier than he had imagined, Derek turned from the window, rose to his feet, and crossed to the bed. “Hey.”
She held out her arms as she sleepily, groggily pulled herself up in bed. “Come here.”
“You should sleep.”
Meredith pouted when she saw his red rimmed, darkly-circled blue eyes. “So should you.” She smiled seductively, teasingly. “You need your rest after the day we had.”
It was his turn to smile, although it was sad. Sitting on the bed beside her, he reached out, caressed her cheek. “I love you more than anything.”
Maybe it was the fact that she was exhausted, sore, completely sated. But the tears that filled her eyes were so unexpected, so sudden, she had no defenses to stop them. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” He nodded, his hands reaching out to frame her face. He leaned in until their lips, eyes, noses were inches apart and the fierceness, the intensity of his gaze stole her breath. “You are everything to me.”
More beautiful, brilliant tears shimmered in her eyes as she smiled gracefully despite the frantic beating of her heart. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“Then stop moping and get back in this bed.”
Sighing, his heart aching from the absolute joy of knowing she was alive and well and loved him. And that darkness, that sadness in her eyes finally seemed to be gone. Was he partly responsible for that? God he hoped so. Because he loved her. He really loved her. He wanted to just wrap himself up in her, feed off of her, wallow in her scent and taste and touch and presence. Never had his emotions controlled him so completely.
He pulled back the comforter, slid beneath it and reached for her face in his hands. “Love you,” he whispered as he went in for another kiss.
“Love you,” she murmured, linking her arms around his neck as their lips met.
Nothing was ever going to top this.
No one’s promises were ever going to mean more.
No happiness would ever be greater.
This was it.