Easy Silence

22.

Derek Shepherd was the most annoying person alive.

In the last couple of days of living together, she had come to that conclusion. Actually Meredith had come to that conclusion before she had even asked him to move in, but she had asked anyway. But still in the last couple of days he had done everything in his power to make sure she was certain of that fact. Derek was everywhere, all the time, being Derek and it was annoying. He'd get to close, or he'd just sit and watch her and smile like he knew something she didn't. And there was the whole thigh thing. He was clearly the most annoying person alive and she wished he would disappear.

Except she hadn't actually meant disappear.

She hadn't seen him in the last hour, and an hour was a long time to not actually have him bother her at least once.

"What are you doing hiding back here?"

"Game just started," he murmured, and for the first time ever his eyes didn't meet hers as he talked to her. He always looked at her, stared at her in a way that should have been creepy, but wasn't. Now they were glued to the tv.

"Game?"

"My game," he nodded, gesturing for her to sit beside him, even though he still didn't look. "Sit and be quiet."

"Oh," Meredith frowned, moving to sit beside him for reasons she didn't even want to try to understand. She used a spoon to poke his side. "I have ice cream. Ice cream I'm willing to share."

"Ice cream?" he smirked slightly, grabbing for the spoon. "What kind?"

"You could look."

"What kind?"

"Double chocolate fudge from Laura Secord's."

"Wait..." Derek paused, his spoon lingering over the dark brown ice cream. "You spent money buying a carton? That's...really expensive."

"Well...I needed it."

"Boyfriend dumped you?"

"No," she rolled her eyes, even though he wasn't looking at her. "I lost a patient. A five year old little girl."

"Oh Mer..." he murmured, finally leaning back and looking away from the tv, studying her closely. "Are you okay? I mean...Mer..."

"It's hell," Meredith whispered around a mouthful of ice cream. "She came in and there...it wasn't my fault, she was basically gone but I tried and it sucks. It completely suck and we probably...if I talk about it...I can't talk about it, Derek. Talking about it doesn't help."

"It doesn't?"

"A five year old died, Derek, nothing helps. Except for chocolate ice cream."

"Okay," he nodded, shifting so that he was relaxing against the back of the couch, leaning slightly toward her. "We can eat ice cream. And watch the game. In silence."

"Silence," Meredith agreed, grabbing another spoonful of ice cream. "Who is your team playing against?"

"Detroit. Now shush."

"Shush? Did you just say shush?"

"Meredith..."

"Okay, sorry," she nodded, shifting herself so she leaned against the back with him, her own body tilted slightly toward his, although she stayed far away from touching.

"Thanks," he murmured, grabbing for another spoonful.

"Wait...why'd the stop playing?" Meredith asked, frowning slightly after a few minutes of silently eating the ice cream.