You're Like Coming Home

3.

Derek sighed. "They're not interested," he said.

Mark rolled his eyes. "Have I taught you nothing, Shep?" he asked. "They totally want us. We just have to play along with their little game for awhile, and then they'll give in. We have to make sure we don't break first. If we do, we'll never have any power in the relationship."

"Fine," Derek said. "Where are we going? They never told us where they're going."

"We're going to the party," Mark replied. "It's the biggest party on campus, they have to show up there at some point."

Derek sighed as he followed Mark down the street. He wasn't sure why he wasn't even interested in the party anymore. All he wanted was to talk to the blonde across the hall, to find out her name and everything else there was to know about her.

XXXXXX

Meredith and Addison walked into the party, looking around with wide smiles on their faces. "This is awesome!" Addison yelled over the music. "Do you want a drink?"

"Yeah, I'll get a beer," Meredith replied. They made their way to the table of drinks and opened a couple of beers, looking around the crowded house. "We should go dance," she said after a few minutes.

"Let's go," Addison giggled, grabbing Meredith's arm and dragging her to the middle of the room. As they allowed themselves to get lost in the music, Meredith felt herself lose a little bit of her self consciousness, allowing herself to show more of who she truly was as she moved to the music.

After a couple songs, she looked around and noticed that Addison was nowhere to be seen. She sighed as she turned back to the drink table, freezing when she saw Addison in the corner of the room, leaning against a wall and laughing as the blonde man from across the hall leaned close to her. That could only mean that the hot one was here somewhere, and he would probably corner her as well. She swallowed hard, telling herself to keep control and not let herself sink into who she used to be. She couldn't sleep with him, as much as she wanted to.

She reached for a beer and moved outside, sitting down on the steps as she looked up at the sky. The moon was bright, and the stars were glimmering, and she found herself slipping into daydream mode as she stared at the vast darkness above her.

"Well, you look awfully lonely out here," she heard a familiar voice say, and she closed her eyes as she reminded herself to act normal.

With a sigh, she opened her eyes to see the familiar blue eyes smiling at her. "Hi," she said softly.

"So I've been thinking," Derek started. "We're living across the hall from each other."

"We are," Meredith agreed with a smile, curious to see where he was going with this.

"And we're going to be living across the hall from each other all year," he continued. "So I feel that information about each other is essential."

"You do?" Meredith asked. "What information are we talking about here?"

"Well, we could start with names," Derek replied, holding out his hand. "Derek Shepherd."

Meredith stared at him for a moment, considering her options in her head for a moment before she gently took his hands. "Meredith Grey," she said softly.

Derek flashed her his best smile. "Well, Meredith Grey, it appears that we have reached a new plateau."

"Oh, really?" Meredith asked, giggling slightly. "Which plateau is next? Learning where each other is from?"

"Hmm....I could handle that," Derek nodded. "New York. Born and raised."

"I'm from Boston," Meredith said with a nod. "Although, I moved out there from Seattle when I was five."

Derek nodded. "I'm glad I know things, Meredith Grey from Boston," he said.

Meredith giggled, unable to completely resist him. The man was completely and totally cheesy and corny, but there was something else about him, something safe, and...homey. She felt like he was home, which was weird and insane. People couldn't feel like home, especially annoying, curly haired boys with amazing eyes who lived across from her. But Derek...there was something perfect about his name and his eyes and his hair and just...him.

Before their conversation could go any further, the front door of the house burst open and Addison stumbled onto the porch.

"Mer, thank God," she said, reaching to pull her best friend to feet. "We've got to go. Mark's driving me crazy?"

"Who's Mark?" Meredith asked.

"The hot one from across the hall," Addison replied, causing Derek to frown. He definitely didn't want to be known as the hot one's roommate.

Meredith glanced over her shoulder at Derek as Addison dragged her away. She smiled brightly and shrugged helplessly, as if saying that she would talk to him later. He nodded and smiled in return before he stood and walked back to the party, preparing to kill Mark. When he laid eyes on his best friend at the drink table, he made his way over to him and grabbed his arm.

"Thanks a lot," he said.

"Dude, what's your problem?" Mark asked. "We're at a party. Loosen up, have a beer."

"I don't need a beer," Derek snapped. "I was actually getting somewhere with Meredith, and you had to go and ruin it."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Mark demanded.

"I was talking to Meredith," Derek sighed. "And she was...amazing. And then her friend came out and demanded that they leave because you were annoying her."

Mark frowned. "That's totally not what happened," he said. "I tried to kiss her and she freaked out."

"I wonder why," Derek muttered under his breath.

"You know what this means, Shep?" Mark asked, a sly smile on his face.

"No, but I'm sure you're going to tell me," Derek rolled his eyes.

"It means that they're going to give in earlier than we thought," Mark said. "I'm telling you, Shep, they'll be ours by the end of September."

Derek didn't say anything, but he couldn't help hoping that his idiot of a best friend was right, that he would be dating Meredith by the end of the month. There was something enchanting about her, something that made him feel complete, and he barely even knew her. He couldn't wait until he could know her more.