Unexpected Connections

Organic or orgasmic?

In Seattle, the smart shoppers either shopped early in the morning, or late at night. This way, they got first pick on the freshly placed items, or they got free goodies and avoided mass amounts of people.

It wasn't only 'smart shoppers' at the downtown Whole Foods that night. Elderly folk and busy business people picking up last minute items filled the aisles. Also there, was Meredith Grey. She liked to shop late because it's really the only time she had and the only time she remembered she needed to keep her fridge stocked... kinda stocked.

Meredith started to grope the organic avocados to see how close they were to being ripe. Once satisfied with her decision, she moved on to other fruits.

Inside Meredith's cart were items as listed; a quart of strawberry ice cream, a bottle of tequila, two organic avocados, a bottle of red wine, bread and cheese for grilled cheese sandwiches and some microwaveable meals. Now, she was on the search for some Fuji apples.

She reached her hand forward while looking at some other apples and was surprised to find the apple felt weird... She latched on, still not paying attention to what she was grabbing, her mind was focused on her student's dreamy uncle. Meredith brought the object to her face so she could smell it as to figure out why it felt so strange. Once it graced her nose, she realized it was a hand! She dropped it like it was burning her and looked in embarrassment at the stranger that the hand belonged to.

"Derek." She said in shock that she was just thinking about him and here he was.

"You know, Washington is known for their apples. It's the state fruit." The dreaminess poured out of Derek like it was a right of passage.

Seemingly recovered from the accidental hand grab, Meredith said, "I teach fifth grade... I have to know those kinds of things." She grimaced as she thought about how bitchy she sounded.

Derek chuckled. "They have pretty good cherries too..." He started, "I'd like to think it's fate at hand, bringing us here together." He laughed on the inside about his stupid pun.

"Derek." Meredith stated. "We're in a grocery store, I'd hardly call that fate."

"Come on, Meredith." Derek said, "What are the chances of us meeting twice in the same day? I think this is fate telling us something." He encouraged.

"You're crazy." Meredith said.

"Mer?" Derek questioned. Meredith's heart leaped at the sound of her shortened name coming from his sweet lips. "Are you almost done shopping or do you still have some more to do?"

Meredith looked at the contents of her cart, then up at him innocently, "I still need some vegetables, why?"

Derek looked at what she had in her cart, "because I don't really want you to starve yourself. Why don't I help you pick out some real food?"

Meredith giggled and protested. "That really won't be necessary seeing as I couldn't cook it." She scrunched up her nose in the most adorable way as she spoke.

"You need to eat a real meal... We also need to change the fact you can't cook. How about we pick out some things and I'll teach you?" Derek was really hoping she wouldn't pull the 'your niece is my student' card again.

"Derek," Meredith whined. "We can't-"

Derek interrupted her, "Meredith. Please. I just want to help you eat." He lightly joked, "You certainly can't live off of apples and tequila."

"You're a funny man, Derek Shepherd." Meredith teased.

Derek wouldn't take no for an answer so he grabbed her cart and started going down the aisles, picking out the ingredients for spaghetti. One of the more simple dishes to make.

Meredith started to protest. "Derek!? What are you-"

Derek moved his finger to cover her lips and prevented her from speaking. "Shhh, I'm being a gentleman." He gave her the dreamiest smile he could muster, hoping she'd give in to him. She reached her hand to place it where Derek's finger left a burning trail.

Meredith rolled her eyes and followed him around the grocery store until they reached the checkout. "I hope you realize I'm not paying for any of this." She crossed her arms mid sentence.

Derek pulled out his wallet from his back pocket and smirked at her, "I know."

He put all the groceries in the back of her rugged blue jeep and told her he'd follow her to her house. Once they arrived, he unloaded and put away the groceries except the things that he required for preparing dinner. "Okay, first we need a pot to cook the pasta in, a cutting board and knife, and a skillet for the sauce."

Meredith looked at Derek with an adorably confused face. "What's a skillet?"

Derek raised an eyebrow and painfully tried to hide his smile. "It's pretty much a big pan- you know what? I guess I'll just have to snoop around a little and look for one myself."

Meredith stepped out of his way, feeling more than a little uncomfortable in the unfamiliar territory of the kitchen. Whoever said women belonged in the kitchen needed to be cut up into little tiny pieces, with a knife. She started to move out of the kitchen when Derek found what he was looking for and caught her trying to sneak away. "Where do you think you're going?" He asked. "I'm teaching you to cook... Remember?"

"Right." She quietly said. Meredith walked over to the granite counters and looked at the ingredients in front of her. "What do you want me to do?" She looked at him and shyly asked.

"Well, first we want to start making the sauce and make sure we time things out so everything is ready at the same time and nothing gets cold." He explained. Derek instructed her to open the jar of sauce and pour it into the skillet. She did so without a problem.

"Now," Derek rubbed his hands together in excitement. "We're going to spice it up a little."

Oh god Meredith thought. I am so screwed. Derek told her which spices he needed and Meredith went to her spice cabinet to retrieve them. The basil leaves were on the top shelf and she couldn't quite reach them. Derek saw her struggling and moved in behind her to help. He wasn't very much taller than her so when he positioned himself behind her body, he had to raise himself on his toes just a little bit, causing his body to brush up against hers. He placed a hand on her hips for balance and grabbed the container he was seeking for. He stepped back a little with the container in hand and allowed Meredith to turn so she was facing him. After feeling his strong chest against her back, and his pelvis pushing into her pelvis, she craved more. She knew it was wrong but she couldn't control herself around him.

Meredith was breathing heavily and looked into Derek's piercing cerulean eyes. Derek leaned in closer and Meredith thought he was about to kiss her. Instead, he reached around her back and grabbed the salt shaker. He smiled at her and turned to the stove to add in the spices. Meredith relied on the countertop behind her to support her weight as she controlled her breathing. This is going to be a very long night, she thought.