Context: this is a suggestion from a few of my followers. A cute little merder fic. If you're grossed out by periods (then get a grip) then maybe don't read this one. Idk it's not graphic or anything but I've gotta put a warning😂
Based in the earlier seasons when they were still getting to know each other.
It was a late Thursday evening and Meredith sighed as she stepped out the bathroom and towards the bed where Derek sat reading.
"Hey" he smiled at her. "You okay? You look tired" he asked quietly as he pulled the sheets back for her. She smiled at his small gensture. "Yeah, just tired" she whispered as she climbed into the bed.
"What time are you working tomorrow?" Derek asked as he put his book on the nightstand and turned to her. "8:30" she groaned as she laid her head down.
Derek smiled at her, bringing his hand to her cheek to stroke.
"Get some sleep, I'll wake you up in the morning" he whispered before reaching over and turning off her light.
She settled against his body, curled in the crook of his arm with her tiny body; the place she felt safest.
She closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep but after 10 minutes, she became acutely aware of a small pain in her lower abdomen.
She shifted slightly in her position, hoping to dissipate the cramping, and laid her head on Derek's chest. He'd become comfort for her; a safe place; a place she could be herself. 2 years of knowing him, breaking up, falling in love, the prom; it had made their body so much stronger, and this 'new' relationship they'd started was the personification of heaven.
For the next 30 minutes, she shifted and twisted like there were ants in the bed or something.
"Are you okay? Can you not sleep?" Derek whispered suddenly, startling her.
She rolled on her side again, this time with a heavy sigh as her cramps grew painful.
"Just uncomfortable" she mumbled as she turned away from him. He moved forward in an attempt to spoon her body but she rolled away quickly.
"I'm fine, Derek" she snapped quietly, taking him by surprise.
"O-okay" he whispered before backing off instantly and giving her some space.
He was wide awake now, confused by her unrest but not wanting to push her buttons if she was already tired.
He switched back on his dim light and grabbed his book once more, mindlessly flicking through the pages for over an hour as she tossed and turned beside him.
Eventually she just lay flat on her back, staring at the ceiling.
"I hate being a woman"
Derek frowned at her as he watched her hand rest on her abdomen, a moment of panic flashing over him before realisation hit him.
"Oh" he said quietly.
"I mean- what- the universe decided that women not only have to give birth but they also have to have periods every month? It's so backwards" she groaned as her abdomen cramped once more.
He turned on his side and replaced her hand with his, spreading his warm palm across her lower abdomen.
"Is there anything I can do to help? Can I get you anything?" He smiled sadly at her. He knew she was in pain, but he also wanted to respect her space.
"Yeah, get me a tranquilliser and a bout of morphine to knock me out" she mumbled.
He chuckled to himself as he climbed out the bed and left the bedroom. He searched multiple different draws and cupboards in the trailer, pouring a tea for her, rooting out some tylenol, finding a heat pad from his fishing trips.
"I don't really know what you like or need so I just brought everything I know my sisters always mentioned" he laughed nervously as he dumped it all on the bed.
"Derek" she sighed. "You didn't have to" she said as she sat up in bed. I don't want to feel like a burden.
"I know, I know. I'm not going to smother you, I just- there-" he sighed as he placed the mug down on her beside table. "And if you need anything then you're welcome to it all" he smiled at her as he climbed back into bed.
"Do you need me to run to the store to get you anything?" He looked to her. She smiled at him and then giggled. "I don't think you'd even know what to get" she said.
Derek feigned a shocked expression.
"I had 4 sisters and you don't think I know what a pad or a tampon is? That I didn't get sent by my mom every time they needed something? You underestimate me, Dr Grey"
She laughed with him as she laid her head on his shoulder as the laughter died down.
"In all seriousness, what do you need, Meredith?" He whispered.
"This" she gestured to everything he'd brought her. "This is enough, thank you" she smiled before kissing him gently.
"Hmm-" he hummed contently. "Do you want to cuddle or do you want your space?" He said as he settled into the bed and watched her swallow the tylenol and lay her head on the pillow.
"It's a little uncomfortable when you squish me, so maybe hold hands?" She said nervously as she turned to him. He smiled at her
"Holding hands sounds great" he said reassuringly as he reached for her hand, the other helping her hold the heat pack to her abdomen.
They stared into each other's eyes for what felt like hours before Meredith's began to fall heavy, the pain medication clearly setting in.
He smiled as he switched off his lamp and laid quietly next to her, holding her hand to his chest.
They both fell into a dreamless sleep by 1am, separate, but never feeling so close together.
...
The next morning Derek woke up early like he always did, 6am sharp. He decided to give it an hour before waking his girlfriend, knowing she would appreciate the sleep.
She'd woken only once in the night in desperate need for some more pain relief and a new heat-pad which Derek had happily warmed up for her without any hesitation, but he knew she was tired because she wasn't even storing.
About an hour had passed and he chose to start waking her.
"Meredith" he shook her gently, causing her to stir. "Huh-" she groaned and squinted. "You have work in just over an hour" he whispered as he kissed her cheek.
"Hmm but you're so warm" she groaned as she hid her face in his chest. He laughed. Last night she wanted her space but somewhere in the mix they had ended up tangled together.
"Hmm- you too" he sighed happily, her lavender conditioner
airing through his nostrils. His favourite wake-up in the whole entire world.
"I don't want to work" she grumbled. "Do you need the day off?" Derek asked cluelessly. She shook her head.
"No, I'll be fine" she said as she sat up and climbed out of bed. "I'm going to take a shower" she smiled before disappearing into the other side of the trailer.
He sighed for a moment. Today he wasn't working, so he was a at a loose end and didn't know how he was going to spend his day. He looked around the bedroom and realised that maybe the trailer could do with a deep clean.
He threw back the covers and climbed out of bed as he stretched his body. He looked around the room, trying to find a sweatshirt of some kind as the cold November air wrapped around his bare chest.
He suddenly paused looking at the bed where he noticed a red stain where Meredith had been sleeping.
Suddenly he heard the bedroom door unlock and he dived back into bed, hiding the stain with the covers.
"You look pretty" he smiled at her new shirt that she was wearing. She beamed. "Aw. Thank you, Der" she smiled at him before leaving down to kiss him.
"Call me if you need anything at work today, okay?" He said as she walked down the trailer to grab her purse. She nodded. "I will be okay. Have a good day" she blew him a kiss before leaving.
He sighed once more as he sat up and looked out the window to watch her drive away. Once she was out of sight, he climbed out of bed.
He stripped the sheets and threw them in the machine to be washed
He didn't want to embarrass her when she'd already had a bad night sleep, so he had opted to not say anything, to just clean it up and protect her new abilities of feeling like she can be herself around him.
He made short work of cleaning up his trailer and eventually decided mid-morning that he could fish down by the river that ran through his land.
Another hour had passed and he hadn't caught anything yet.
He groaned in frustration.
His mindless day-dreaming was interrupted by an incoming phone-call from Bailey.
He frowned.
"Dr Bailey" he spoke as he answered. "Yeah- yeah- oh right- okay- is she okay now- okay- I'll be there soon- okay- thank you- bye"
He pushed himself out his chair and rummaged through his pockets to find his car keys and made quick work of driving away.
After 20 minutes, he pulled up outside of the main building and saw Meredith sat on the bench next to Izzie. He climbed out the car.
"Hey" he smiled sadly at her. "Hey" she looked to him. "We've given her some water and sat her down. We think she just need to sleep it off" Izzie said as she stood up. They helped Meredith stand up and steadied her. "You good?" He looked into her eyes. She nodded.
"Okay, come on. Let's go home. Thank you, Izzie" he nodded at Dr Stevens before helping Meredith to the car and driving away.
"Bailey said you nearly passed out in the OR?" Derek broke the silence. "I didn't pass out, I just went dizzy" Meredith corrected him. He nodded.
"Are you feeling okay?" He asked. "Just dizzy" she sighed as she closed her eyes and rested her head back. "Do you get dizzy when you're on your period?" He asked curiously. She just nodded.
They made it back to the trailer and walked in, so excited to just lay in bed but Meredith frowned when she saw the bed was bare. "Oh- right- yeah- I've just been having a deep clean. The sheets should be out he drier now" he said as he walked past her and pulled the warm sheets out.
They made the bed together before Meredith changed into some of his sweats and curled into the warm sheets. "Mmm- this is perfect" she hummed happily.
Derek chucked as he decided to join her in the bed and maybe take a nap with her, something he rarely did.
He spooned her body gently as his hand slipped from her waist around to the front of her abdomen, splaying his warm palm to ease her cramps.
"That feels good" she sighed contently.
"Sleep, Meredith. I've got you"