Young Lovers

13.

Derek settles her into the car, running around to jump in. She looks over at him, still feeling fuzzy. She puts her hand on his cheek, and he takes it and kisses the palm of her hand. "I think I'm kinda drunk," she says sleepily.

"Does this mean you don't want to take me home to bed?" he teases her, kissing her fingers and then her wrist, his eyes dark with desire. Her head is back against the headrest, her eyes fluttering shut. "Mer!? Honey?"

"Sorry, Der," she replies, opening her eyes. "Getting sleepy all of a sudden." She yawns. "Take me home."

"Wait, your Mom will be there, won't she?"

Meredith sighs. "Oh, she'll be gone - somebody always needs her at the hospital."

"Are you sure?"

"Trust me, Derek. I know my mother."

He lets go of her hand, and she lets it drop to his leg, and he thinks this is going to be another drive like in the afternoon. But she just lets it rest there gently, as he eases the car out of the parking spot and down the street. The rain is still falling lightly, and the only sound is the wipers on the windshield, and the low throb of music on the CD player. He looks over at Meredith as they near her house, and smiles when he sees that she has fallen asleep.

Her house is totally dark, except for a light on outside the front door. Obviously, Dr. Grey has left, without waiting for Meredith make it home. Derek stops the car, and goes around to help Meredith out. She is half-asleep, as she fishes her key out of her purse, and hands it to him at the front door. He unlocks it, and then picks her up and carries her up the stairs to her bedroom.

"God, Derek, I'm sorry, I'm so sleepy," she mutters, crawling into bed, after dropping her wrinkled clothes in a heap on the floor.

"It's okay, baby," he assures her, tucking her in, and then laying down beside her. He snuggles in beside her, and strokes her hair until she falls asleep. Within minutes, his eyes are heavy as well, and he drifts off to sleep beside her, his arm around her protectively.

A few hours later, Derek wakes up, feeling Meredith shift beside him. He sneaks a glance at the clock, surprised to see that it's already 5:00 in the morning. For a change, he's the one awake early. The house is still silent, except for the slight snoring from Meredith. Obviously, Dr. Grey is still at the hospital, worrying about everyone else except her daughter.

For a moment, he debates whether or not he should get up and go home before they get caught like this. Not that anything is happening - he is still dressed, and Meredith is, well, she's all soft and warm and naked under the duvet. That could look bad, if Ellis walked in on them. Not as bad as if he was under the covers with her, with his hands on her in places where mothers don't want their little girls to be touched. His thoughts wander into that territory for a moment, thinking how much he would like to be touching Meredith there, feeling her soft skin under his fingertips.

Stifling a groan in the pillow, Derek closes his eyes, and tries to control his racing heart and libido. It's only been a week since they have been together like this, and yet it seems entirely natural. He has become addicted to having her beside him, and not just because of the mind-blowing sex they have. No, it's more than that, and there is no way he is going to get up and leave her alone. She has been alone too much in her life, and he is determined to make sure she doesn't feel lonely again.

He listens to her soft breathing, the snoring momentarily quiet, he realizes with a grin, and lets sleep overtake him again.

-----

Meredith stretches and opens her eyes, realizing Derek is still there. She checks the clock - only 6:00 a.m. He probably wouldn't appreciate it if she woke him up yet - too early for him, she thinks amusedly. Obviously, her mother isn't home yet, or they would have had a rude awakening. Maybe she should wake him up, before they get caught like this.

Not that anything was happening, well not really. He's still dressed, on top of the duvet, and she's naked beneath the duvet, realizing she dropped all her clothes on the floor last night. Oh, god, last night - her head throbs a little from the unaccustomed amount of tequila.

"You're staring at me," Derek mumbles then. "I can tell."

"I thought you were sleeping."

"I was. Peacefully, too, after your snoring stopped."

"I'll get you some earplugs for next time, I mean, if you're gonna sleep with me again..."

"You did invite me here, you know," he says, sneaking his hand under the duvet, settling on her waist.

"Yes, I did. And then I fell asleep - I'm not used to that much tequila, I guess. I'll have to make it up to you." Meredith looks up at him, her face flushed, and her lips halfway parted, and he smiles tenderly at her. "What?"

"I'm just happy," he says softly, cradling her close, and easing her down on the bed. "And I need you...." He parts her legs then, and in seconds he is thrusting smoothly into her, filling her completely, taking her breath away in a rush. Derek wraps his hand in her hair, and kisses her in an all-consuming, wet kiss that makes her even more breathless.

Meredith's senses are in a hot riot, her body shaking as the pleasure builds up in her again, as Derek thrusts deeper and faster into her. Her climax hits her suddenly, and she clutches at him, her fingers digging into his shoulders, her heels at the small of his back. Derek closes his eyes, breathing heavily as he comes with a raw groan.

Slowly, he lowers himself down into her arms, releasing her carefully. She threads her fingers in his hair, feeling his temples damp with sweat, his muscles still taut and trembling from the exertion. As he catches his breath, his face against her warm skin, he suddenly realizes Mark was right.

"Meredith," he says softly, propping himself up on his elbow beside her, playing with her hair with is free hand. "I need to tell you something."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, honey, I just, well..." He pauses, feeling tongue-tied, something he hasn't felt around Meredith before. His heart jumps crazily, but he finally takes a deep breath to calm down.

"Derek, you're scaring me. What is it?"

"Meredith, I love you. I think I've loved you forever, I just didn't realize it until now," he says in a rush, searching her face for some clue to how she is taking this.

She blinks, and puts her fingers against his mouth, her own heart suddenly beating faster. For a moment, she doesn't say anything, and he thinks he's gone too far, too fast. It really is crazy, so quickly to feel like this, but it's got to be love.

"It's okay, I mean, you don't have to say anything...I just had to tell you...I...."

"Shh, Derek, you're rambling now, and that's usually something I do," Meredith giggles.

"Right, you're right..."

"Der...I love you too."