Easy Silence

42.

Meredith would have recognized the dark curls anywhere.

She knew she would have. Even if she wasn't supposed to be seeing the curls for another two weeks and three days, well unless you counted seeing them on television ad she definitely didn't. She still recognized the curls which was insane because he was supposed to be in Los Angeles, not standing at the end of the hallway in her hospital in her city looking around like he was looking for something or someone. Which meant he had to be looking for her because he wasn't sure why else he would be here but insane, this was insane.

"Derek..." she breathed, not even sure if he would hear her.

But he did, because suddenly his head whipped around and a smile stretched across his face. "Meredith."

"Der..." she murmured and suddenly she was moving. She definitely hadn't remembered making the conscious decision to move. Moving hadn't actually crossed her mind at al but she was moving, she was moving and getting closer to him and he wasn't disappearing.

She wasn't going crazy.

She wasn't.

"Meredith," he repeated.

Meredith had half expected their reunion to be some over the top thing, with tight hugs and tears and hard kisses. It was how she had pictured it, even if it was romantic and cheesy and everything she hated, she had pictured picking him up at the airport, and big hugs and things she didn't usually do but she had missed him so she had figured she would be okay with it. That was how she had pictured this big momentous time in their relationship, she had even planned on telling people about that. Not every body but kids, she had planned on telling their kids about the big romantic reunion they had had in the airport and this wasn't anything like she had imagined.

"Derek," she whispered again from where she now stood.

His arms were tenderly around her, holding her close but not too close, staring into her eyes and smiling widely, apparently completely oblivious to the fact they stood in the middle of a crowded hallway.

"Meredith."

And then she was being held tightly in his arms, finding herself smashed up against his chest, her face pressed to the light spring jacket he was wearing and she couldn't help but remember the lined corduroy fall jacket that he had been wearing when they had first met. This was good. This was perfect, she wrapped her arms around his neck and she was pretty sure this was completely perfect.

"What are you doing here?" she breathed, as she pulled back slightly to look at him again.

"I couldn't do it."

"Couldn't do what?"

"Be away from you any longer."

"Oh."

"I just...I had to come home. I had to see you. I had to be here before I went insane."

"So you took a weekend off?"

"Oh..."

"Derek..."

"I quit."

"Derek!" she gasped pulling away completely. "Two weeks, you had...you're insane. You actually went insane and it was two weeks, you couldn't wait another two weeks."

"No."

"That's...this is crazy. You...you need to go back. You need to go back. I'm happy you're home, I am. I'm...okay, this is kind of amazing, really basically amazing, it is. And I love you but you need to go back and finish your season, it's just two weeks and..."

"And I've been miserable since I moved there."

"Der....I know," she sighed, reaching to run a hand through his hair. "I know."

"I've been so miserable, Mer. And my game's been off, don't even try to deny it, even you know I haven't been playing my since I got there. I'm not happy. I can't be happy there. My life is here."

"But...two more weeks..."

"Two more weeks is too long," he cut her off, brushing his lips along hers. "It's two weeks too damn long. And I...I just wanted to be with you. Yesterday I had a meeting with the coach about my play. I haven't been getting goals, apparently I look lazy on the ice, he didn't have that many nice things to say about me."

"Oh Der..."

"So we talked and I explained everything. He's...I haven't officially quit. I'm a healthy scratch for the end of the season and over the summer I'll announce my retirement."

"And that...that won't destroy your legacy, right? I mean, you were a big star and this isn't...it won't ruin that?"

"No," he laughed. "You...you haven't been listening to what they say?"

"What who says?"

"Every hockey analyst in the world. Every fan in the world. That I should retire. That Derek Shepherd is getting old and needs to quit, that LA is destroying me. If anything, this will be good for my legacy."

"Oh."

"But that's not what this is about. This is...I just wanted to be with you. I wanted to be home, I want to start my life with you."

"So this is...this is okay?"

"I think it might be kind of perfect."

"You...that was cheesy, Der."

"I quit my job, take a red eye to get back here and instead of sleeping I drive here just so I can find you, and than you...you, who are supposed to be in awe and shock, call me cheesy?"

"Yes," she giggled.

"I'm so happy I came home."

"I know you are."

"Mer..." he breathed, as he ducked his head down and brushed his lips along hers.

"You're home."

"I'm home."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

And then she kissed him harder, pressing her lips into his, letting her tongue slip into his mouth and she didn't care that her coworkers and patients surrounded her. She didn't care that this was the most unromantic place in the world or that her boyfriend had kind of, sort of quit his job just to be with her. None of that mattered at all. Because he was there and he was kissing her. All that mattered was the sudden silence that came with the kiss.

alright guys that concludes this fic! i hope you guys all enjoyed it, in the end derek just couldn't be away from mer so he came home to her. home is wherever she is. look out for another fic coming soon called 'bleeding love'