Anti-Romantics

Hurricane Meredith

Today was an off day, his coffee tasted off, his Raisin Bran didn't quite crunch the same, his shower was freezing cold, and Meredith was no where in sight at therapy. He couldn't help but shake this feeling that today was going to be a horrible day.

He was never really quite sure of Meredith, her stubborn and quick to anger personality was never really his type. Except there were so many things that drowned those qualities out such as her contagious laughter, dreamy eyes, her dry humor, and the way her eyes squint when she smiles. She was in his head and he couldn't quite seem to get her out.

Shannon invited Derek into the room. "No Meredith today?"

"I'm not sure, I texted her an hour ago and she still hasn't answered."

"You two aren't living together?"

"Not currently."

"Whose idea was that?"

"Neither it just kind of happened that way I guess."

She scribbled some things down in her notepad. It drove Derek crazy. The silence that was, her absence was causing a hole in his stomach. He checked his phone multiple times throughout the session. Until halfway through when she arrived.

Her glassy eyes and flushed complexion worried him. She stumbled into the room clearly inebriated.

"Nice of you to join us." Shannon commented a bit snarky.

"Shut up." Meredith breathed.

"Excuse me?" She questioned her.

"Just shut up Shannon. You come here everyday judging people, giving shitty insight you found on a morning talk show in the 90's. None of its real, go out on a date when the two of you hate each-other, that's real fucking bright."

"Meredith!" Derek defended Shannon.

"Is there anything that I have been doing that you take a problem with? We can talk about this maybe when you're in a clearer mind space. Why don't we have Derek take you home and you can clear your head."

"My husband?" She scoffed fed up with this act. "Yeah, fine whatever."

Derek searched his pocket for his car keys. As the two walked out of the room. "You better not have drove here like this."

"I'm not stupid."

"What was that in there? Meredith what's wrong?"

"I'm fine." There it was that stubbornness about her. He could tell that something was eating away at her.

He opened his car door and had her step in. He shut the door and ran over to his side starting the car. He locked the door. "Meredith.."

"Stop saying my name like it means something to you. Stop talking to me like I am your girlfriend."

"I understand you're upset."

"Let me out of this damn car." She fiddled with the door handle. "Let me out, I'm not kidding!" She banged on the door.

"Meredith. You need to talk to someone, this is not healthy."

Dewy eyed she explained. "What am I supposed to say Derek? That i'm supposed to be getting married today or that my life is flipped on it's axis. I got fired from my job, I am going to therapy with a stranger for a couple of bucks to pay rent, I am getting kicked out of my house and I can't even be mad because it's for her sick boyfriend! Is that what you wanted to hear because nothing you can say is gonna fix this."

Silence filled the car.

"Just let me out."

"No, you're coming home to my house and you're going to let me take care of you because you aren't alright."

"Fine but I don't find this any less patronizing."

The rest of the car ride to his house was silent besides the crispy radio on low volume.

Once they got into his house he sat her down on his couch. He began to pour her a glass of water when he heard his shower turn on.

He begrudgingly enter the bathroom to see her sitting on the floor of his shower fully clothed. Her mascara drew puddles all over her face. He brushed the hair out of her face. He held her cheek for a moment looking into her heartbroken eyes. "How much did you have to drink?"

Her hand gestured that she had a little with an obvious smirk appearing on her face. She was beyond pleased with herself.

"A little?"

She shook her head no as if she was a kindergartner who hadn't built a big enough vocabulary to answer. 

"A lot?"

She nodded.

"Why don't you take an actual shower?" He turned the knob to a hotter temperature.  "You know with your clothes off?"

Without hesitation she pulled her shirt off. Derek immediately covered his eyes and shut the door.  He wondered what kind of a man could cause this much damage to one person and then he remembered how it felt walking in on Mark and Addison. He almost drowned himself in booze.

He grabbed her some of his clothes from the closet and knocked on the door. "I left you some clothes outside the door."

"Thanks." A small voice echoed.

The time was now 7 o'clock and neither of them had eaten. He began making them dinner when she stepped out of the bathroom in his clothes. "You look cute."

"I'll bite you." Her dreary demeanor back.

"Ouch."

He passed her a plate of steamed vegetables. "Health-nut?" She mocked him.

"How about 'thank you Derek for cooking me dinner and giving me clean clothes'?"

"I didn't ask you to. I do appreciate it though."

"Thats more like it." His pager beeped. "Shit, I got a surgery. I'll be a couple hours, you good?"

"I can drive home." She grabbed her keys off the island.

"You aren't going anywhere. You can sleep in my room, there's a tv, some books, honestly make yourself at home."

She nodded.

He walked out the door leaving her in the house by herself. After finishing her plate she wondered the house out of curiosity. She walked upstairs into his room. He noticed a knocked down picture frame of him and a redhead kissing. She couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy, she didn't understand why. She didn't even fully like him. He was an arrogant ass that found himself quite charming. It annoyed her greatly. Finn was humble and kind, opposite of Derek.

She laid down on his bed staring at the ceiling until she eventually fell asleep. When he came home she was sprawled all over the bed. He got in bed with her and tried to adjust his body into the tight corner. For the life of him he could not fall asleep to the sound of her snores. He slightly shoved her. "Hey." She grumbled adjusting herself. She leaned into him not thinking. Their bodies fit like puzzle pieces. He held her closer, almost breathing her in. Their fingers intertwined. There was no thinking behind it, it just somehow worked. Meredith turned over to face him. He leaned into her making her breath hitch. She grabbed his face and attempted to kiss before he pulled away. "You're drunk, I can't kiss you when you're drunk."

"Hmph." She turned back over before going to sleep. He couldn't sleep. His heart couldn't stop racing. He didn't know how to take it. He just wished that she would feel the same when she woke up.