Easy Silence

30.

"Why can't we just meet him at the bar?" Cristina groaned. "It's less crowded and stinky."

"Well it's probably just as crowded, but definitely not as stinky," Izzie cut in.

"The point is, we could have just met him at the bar."

"No, no, we couldn't have," Meredith shook her head as she pushed her way between two teenage boys holding pucks and cameras and then squeezed around a young nervous looking reporter. It wasn't that her friends weren't right. It was crowded. And it was vaguely stinky. But she had to be here. Her friends could have met them at the bar but she had to be here. After this, next time, she could meet him at the bar but tonight he had finally played again and she had to be here. "We'll get out of here as soon as we find him."

"If we ever do in this crowd."

"Which is highly doubtful," Izzie agreed with Cristina.

"Come on, he's here somewhere. Give Meredith a chance to actually find him before you complain," George sighed.

"Thank you, George," Meredith nodded, looking back over her shoulder at her friends. Cristina and Izzie looked annoyed and impatient. George looked nervous. Alex looked completely in awe of his surroundings. All completely expected.

"Meredith!"

"Derek!" Meredith exclaimed as her boyfriend made his way out of the locker room, his hair wet from his shower. He pushed through the people, smiling and greeting people and squeezed Meredith tight.

"How'd I do?"

"You did great!" Meredith giggled, holding him close. "You know you did great. Everyone is saying you did great."

"Doesn't mean I don't want to hear it from you," he smirked as he kissed her softly. "Thanks for coming."

"Where else would I be?"

It had been a month since they had officially moved in together, or a month since he had just decided not to leave her house. It had been a month of hard work for Derek, a month of trying to get back to playing and finally tonight it had happened. They hadn't seen each other much over the last week besides collapsing into bed, but Meredith had booked the night off. She couldn't miss this.

"I'm just glad you're here," he sighed as people buzzed around them.

"Tired?"

"A little, I'll be sore in the morning," Derek nodded slowly, letting his weight lean into her.

"Of course, I mean...of course," Meredith nodded quickly, squeezing both arms tightly around him. "That was amazing, Der. Like...I mean...tapes, you showed me the tapes and I knew you were good but that was...that was even...Derek, that was amazing."

"Oh..."

"Wow, just wow, Derek. You're...wow...I just...I'm amazed, completely amazed and..."

Derek cut her off with a hard kiss, pulling her even closer to him as his tongue dived demanding into her mouth. Meredith was dimly aware of the large crowd of people buzzing around them, the bodies of her friends and complete strangers being smashed into them. But she was more aware of his lips hard against hers, his tongue dancing with hers and his teeth clashing against hers. She hadn't expected a kiss not like this, not in public, not when the hallway was so full but she was completely and totally lost in it.

"Meredith..."

"Der..."

Somebody moved behind her, suddenly crashing into her back and pushing her hard into Derek's body, leaving their bodies smashed together, his arms holding her up.

"I love you," he whispered.

She heard it above the loud din and her heart thudded hard in her chest. She had known it was coming, known that sooner or later he was going to say it. There had been a few times over the last weeks when it had seemed to be at the tip of his tongue. And she had been terrified because she had no idea how to respond back. He had said it.

"I love you too," she heard herself murmur.

It had come completely naturally.

They kissed again, slower and gentler this time as his hands ran over her body, slipping under her jacket as she tangled her fingers in his wet dark curls.

"Can you guys honestly not wait until you have some privacy?"

"No," Derek laughed as he pulled away from Meredith's lips but kept her close in his arms as they both turned to look at his best friend.

"Seriously, Shep, this is sad and pathetic."

"Kissing a girl is sad and pathetic?"

"It is when you're all lovey about it," Mark frowned. "I mean it, Shep, people are getting pictures."

"I don't care," Derek shrugged.

"Of course you care," Mark sighed. "Just...don't do that in public."

"The hot one's right," Cristina cut in. "And are we going to go get drunk now or do we have to stand here all day watching you two make out?"

"I like you," Mark smiled.

"Don't get any ideas," Cristina sighed. "Just because I said you were hot doesn't mean I want to partake in any of the hotness. I've heard enough stories to know to pass."

Mark opened his mouth to respond but Derek cut him off. "Let's get out of here guys."

Everyone agreed and they all turned to leave the crowded hallway, Derek's arm tightly around her shoulders as he guided her through the crush of people, stopping occasionally to say hi or sign something he had her hold. He had said he loved her. He loved her. Over a month ago they had both admitted to falling, but now this was different and a very tiny voice in Meredith's head seemed to be quite certain that this was something she could be freaking out about.

Except she wasn't.

She wasn't at all.

Derek Shepherd loved her. And she loved him.