Dusk&Summer

26.

Derek was worried about his brother. They had spent most of the day fishing, Mark had even managed to catch the most fish, and yet he had stayed quiet and sullen. He didn't crack jokes, he didn't talk shit about Derek or Brian, he just stayed completely quiet, staring out into the water. It was completely out of character for Mark Sloan, and Derek was worried.

Derek got the being upset about a girl thing. He had been there before. His entire existence through high school had been dealing with girls that he liked who didn't seem to care that much whether he existed or not. But he didn't get Mark being this upset about a girl. Mark had never gotten upset about anything female related. Even in high school, if one girl didn't like him, there was always another around the corner.

So this was just troublesome. This wasn't his brother. Whoever this person was definitely wasn't Mark Sloan and he was getting worried. He just didn't know what to say. If he brought it up, Mark snapped at him. He didn't want to be worrying about anything right now. Not when his summer was going so amazingly well. Not when he had the petite blonde in his arms every night.

He was missing her desperately. He hadn't said it out loud, he wasn't going to say it to her but he missed her more than expected. They had been together constantly recently, they had become attached at the hip. He had enjoyed every second of it but he hadn't expected to miss it this much when he spent one day away from her. The pure need he felt to go home to her and never let go had to be insanity.

It couldn't be normal, so far off from normal that he should be insane or something. He had thought about her most of the day, had wanted her in his arms, had wanted his lips against hers, had wanted to the scent of lavender to completely overtake him. It was crazy. She was Meredith. Except she was the Meredith that he was falling hard and fast for, which he was starting to accept.

He was falling for Meredith and something about that sentence sounded right. He liked falling for Meredith. No one had ever fit him quite so well before her. Which might actually be another sign that he was going insane, as he had already made a list of very specific reasons Meredith shouldn't fit him at all. But she did. Everything about her fit him and now he couldn't wait to get back to her.

"What the hell is that smell?" Brian frowned as they walked up the path.

"It smells like something is burning," Derek frowned, scrunching his nose up.

"Or dying," Mark grunted.

"Do we want to keep walking and find out what they did?" Derek asked.

"You're assuming Soph did something," Brian frowned again.

"Actually more Meredith."

"That's what I thought," Brian nodded as they continued up the path.

"But Sophie is usually the trusted side kick," Derek shrugged.

"Doesn't mean she'd burn down a house."

"It's not the house. We'd see smoke."

"You don't think they tried to cook, do you?" Brian groaned. "I mean, Soph's not bad. But your girlfriend..."

"Not technically my girlfriend. And shouldn't be allowed near a kitchen."

"Not technically? Seriously, man, that's lame."

"We're getting there. Soon."

"Still...lame."

"Mer's complicated," Derek shrugged. "Bri...what are you and Sophie doing at the end of the summer?"

"Keeping it going."

"But how?"

"What do you mean how? Long distance."