Endless Summer Nights

10.

Meredith wakes up with a familiar taste of iron in her mouth and she instantly knows what that means even before she feels the intense cramp ripple through her abdomen, causing her to curl up in a tight ball while emitting a low groan. She knew this was coming. She knew. That is why she chose to wear a ratty pair of underwear last night with a panty liner. That is also the reason that she made an excuse to spend the night alone. She didn't want to subject Derek to her PMS symptoms.

She tightens her grip around her legs as she tries to make herself get up and go to the bathroom. It hurts. It hurts to move. It hurts to walk. It hurts to lie there. It hurts to breathe. If there is a God, he hates her. Seriously.

She pulls herself to the edge of the bed and forces herself to her feet. She ambles to the bathroom in a slouched over position. Her flow isn't heavy. It isn't heavy at all. It's just everything the cramps that reduce her to a groaning pile of flesh for the first two days of her period every single month. She can usually function with the medication that her doctor prescribed for her. Her medication that she just happened to leave at home. Figures. Like she said, God hates her. God hates Meredith Grey and it feels as if at this moment he is kicking her in the ovaries to express that intense hatred.

She slowly pulls on a pair of navy blue Juicy sweats and pulls a sweatshirt over her head. She then turns the thermostat down in her room. She wants to be comfortable. She needs to be comfortable, and growing up in Boston, sweats are comfortable.

She groans as the cramps intensify a bit. She begins to make her way back towards her bed, where she intends to spend the next two days. She should probably call Derek and figure out something to tell him. They have spent every day and every night together for the past week, so a couple of days won't hurt anything. Right?

She walks over to the nightstand to grab her cell phone. As she moves her finger to press the send button, there is a knock on her door. She glances at the door before looking back at the phone. She wonders who in the hell is knocking on her door. All of her friends know to avoid Mega-bitch Meredith during the first two days of her period, so they avoid her like the plague.

She ambles over to the door, her phone still gripped in her hand, as the knocking persists. She reaches the door and turns the handle and is somewhat shocked to see who is standing on the other side of the door. Her mouth falls slightly open as she stares at him.

Meredith: Derek! What are you doing here?

Derek cocks his head slightly to the side as he feigns hurt.

Derek: Aren't you happy to see me?

Meredith bends over slightly, trying to ease the pain while also attempting to hide her discomfort from Derek. Unfortunately, Derek notices the pained look the crosses her face and he rushes to her side, placing his hand on her lower back.

Derek: Are you okay?

Meredith (through gritted teeth): I'm fine.

Derek: Meredith, I can tell that you are in pain.

Meredith sighs.

Meredith: I'm fine. Really.

Derek tilts his head to the side as he stares her down.

Derek: Meredith.

Meredith leans her body into Derek's and he automatically wraps his arms around her. He leans forward and kisses her on her hair as he runs one of his hands up and down her back.

Derek: Just tell me what it is.

Meredith: Cramps.

Derek straightens a bit.

Derek: Oh.

Meredith: Yeah. Sucks.

Derek: I'm sorry, baby. Is there anything I can do?

Meredith shakes her head no.

Meredith: I just laze around for the next two days. Sorry, but I won't be leaving this room.

Derek chuckles as he brushes a strand of hair out of Meredith's face.

Derek: Why don't you go lay down and I will be back in a couple of minutes.

Meredith cocks her eyebrow as she looks at him.

Meredith: What?

Derek: I will even take your key with me so you don't have to get back up.

Meredith: You mean you actually want to spend time with me today?

Derek chuckles again.

Derek: Why wouldn't I want to spend time with you?

Meredith: Well, I'm not the nicest person at this time of the month and there won't be any sex...

Derek cocks his brow as he looks at her.

Derek: First of all, you don't scare me and you deserve to be a little bitchy, if you are, because I know that you are pain. Secondly, do you think that this is just about sex?

Meredith arches her eyebrow as she stares at him, her mouth is slightly agape as she is attempting to recover from the shock of his words. No man has ever told her it was okay to be a bitch. And this is just about sex, right? It has to be. It has to be just about sex because there is now way that this can go past the three weeks that are remaining. It has to be. It has to be just about sex but that doesn't mean that they can't spend time together. Right? If he wants to put up with Mega-bitch Meredith then God help him, because he is going to need it. Maybe this new persona will scare him away and make it easier for her to leave him in three weeks. Yeah. That is it. That is why she is going to go along with this. To scare him away and make it easier on herself.

Meredith: They keycard is on the table next to the bed.

Meredith starts to move slowly back towards the bed, but Derek walks over to her and picks her up, carrying her over to the bed. Meredith just stares at him, unable to find words at the moment. No one has ever treated her this way. She doesn't know what to say. She doesn't know how to act. It's all knew to her.

Derek leans down and kisses her gently on the forehead before reaching over and grabbing the keycard.

Derek: I will be back in a few minutes.

Meredith: You better bring some strawberry ice cream back with you.

Derek chuckles.

Derek: Sure thing.

Meredith finds herself smiling at the door after it closes behind Derek's masculine form. She doesn't realize she's smiling. She doesn't even realize that the pain isn't even as bad anymore. She doesn't realize these things, and she doesn't realize that the origin of these things is the man whom she is now waiting for.

here's 5 more chapters. i'll post more tomorrow :)