Easy Silence

21.

He had read the same lines about ten times in a row.

At one point he had been used to this amount of noise, the slightly loud roar coming from the kitchen down the hall. He had grown up in a house that was far too big and far too crowded. There had been six of them. Even come the college years, there was always six of them. And that wasn't counting the friends that always wanted to be around as somehow they're already too full house had become a gathering place for anyone under eighteen in the town. Years ago he had definitely been used to this very loud setting.

Of course that had been years ago.

Now he lived in a house that was about the same size as the one he grew up in, but was frighteningly empty most of the time. Mark came over a lot. And sometimes some of the other guys but usually it was empty and quiet.

The din of Meredith's house was completely different.

He moved slowly toward the kitchen, where the noise was clearly coming from, cursing to himself about his crutches. Never before in his life had he moved this slow.

"Derek..." Meredith frowned as he made it into the kitchen. "I thought...you're supposed to be resting. I told you to just yell if you need something."

"Because you would have heard me?" he smirked slightly.

"I...if you yelled enough," she giggled, jumping up from her spot at the table and moving toward him. "Here...let me help. You look...terribly awkward on those. So...I'll help and then I can introduce you to everyone since you live here and they live here..."

"Thanks," he smiled at her as she grabbed the crutches from his hand, leaving him balancing on one foot before she moved back beside him, wrapping an arm around his waist as she led him to a chair near where she had been sitting at the table. He hated needing the help, hated being the weak guy that was depending on others, but it seemed okay when it was Meredith helping him. Something about the flowery smell that surrounded her made it okay.

"Hey Derek," the blonde friend, Izzie, smiled from her spot across the table.

"Introduction time, I guess," Meredith sighed.

"Don't sound to enthusiastic about it," Cristina laughed harshly.

"It's just..." Meredith groaned and then shook her head. "Derek, you know Cristina and Izzie. And this is Alex and George. And Lexie...who is my half sister and it's a long complicated story that I'm not going to discuss."

"Nice to meet everyone," Derek nodded.

"Nice to meet you too," the one guy, George nodded.

"I'm a huge fan," Alex smiled, offering Derek his hand to shake. "That goal you scored against Brodeur a few weeks ago...amazing. Completely amazing. One of the nicest goals I've ever seen."

"Oh...thanks," Derek nodded, shaking his hand.

"Can I get you something?" Alex asked. "We have...beer. I don't really know what else..."

"Beer's fine."

"Der...are you sure?" Meredith frowned. "Pain meds..."

"I've only taken Tylenol today," Derek shrugged. "And that was a few hours ago. I'll be fine. Besides...why do you care?"

"I don't," she rolled her eyes. "I just don't feel like having to perform CPR on you, blue eyes."

"Of course not," he laughed.

"Shut up," she giggled slightly.

"That's what I thought," he smirked.

"I said shut up," she groaned, her eyes shinning in the same alluring way they had the first night he had ever seen her. "Cristina was telling us about a surgery she scrubbed in on today."

"Sorry to interrupt," Derek smiled at the Asian girl who was looking more than slightly annoyed.

"Whatever," Cristina rolled her eyes. "Can I even say it now that he's here?"

"Yeah," Meredith nodded. "He was pre-med. He gets it. Or well kind of gets it."

"You wanted to be a doctor and instead you knock around a puck for a living?" Cristina frowned. "Flunk out or something?"

"No...I..."

"He chose to play hockey and he's happy so end of story," Meredith sighed. "Now...tell us about the surgery."

Derek relaxed as Cristina took over the conversation, talking about the humpty dumpty she had performed that day, whatever that was. Most of the conversation flew over Derek's head but he didn't find himself caring that much. This was surprisingly comfortable. He wasn't sure he could remember a time in his life when the conversation didn't revolve around hockey but this was a welcome change. It was nice. His back was already hurting from sitting up and his ankle was a dull throb but he was comfortable, relaxed and happy.

The only other times he felt like this was at home with his family or when it was just him and Mark, no one else to impress.

It was a welcome feeling.

He let his hand fall on Meredith's thigh, knowing she might push him away and ramble about how he was supposed to be backing off, but he did it anyway. Because suddenly it felt like that was where his hand was supposed to be.

She stiffened slightly for a moment, before covering his hand with her own, and squeezing ever so gently as the conversation changed again to who was sleeping with who at the hospital.

He could get used to this.

With a frightening clarity, he realized he could get used to this.