Confide in Me

Chapter 3

Since she had returned unwell, Meredith hadn't been away again. Her work had been done from home, with occasional trips into the hospital just for a change of scenery. That was almost two weeks ago now, and she hadn't actually felt that familiar ache to go away. She did have to fly to John Hopkins after the weekend, however, to give a series of lectures over the week to students at different levels.

For now, she enjoyed the slight domestication she had experienced. She did her best to spend most of her free time with Maddie and Derek, happy to spend dinners with them, watch movies, generally lounge around his house. She had started to grow used to not being alone, and found she rather preferred to be in their company than her own.

A further excuse for her prolonged stay, Meredith enjoyed to teach, and had taken to picking up a few seminars for the residents at Seattle Grace, which had baffled her mother a little since she hadn't been asked, or begged to do so. She knew there were questions on the tip of Ellis' tongue, just dying to be asked, but Meredith figured if she tried really hard, she could avoid being asked them for as long as possible.

Now was one of those times, as she sook out Derek's office, in order to hide away while she didn't have anything to do for a few hours. Since she wasn't officially a member of staff at the hospital, she didn't have her own workspace, but Derek had been happy for her to work in his if she needed, whether he was there or not. She really didn't see why she didn't have an office when her mother had insisted on giving her a parking space, but since she was avoiding Ellis for now, it wasn't really something she could argue.

Derek hadn't in the office when she arrived, and she settled into the chair behind his desk and pulled her laptop out from her bag underneath. As it loaded up, she twisted the chair back and forth, looking around the room. It was much like his house, really. Undecorated, standard, besides a few pictures. One of Maddie on his desk, a couple of pictures his daughter had drawn stuck up to the side of his filing cabinet. He needed more pictures in there. Reminders of why he had to get home in an evening. He was dedicated to his work, she knew that, and she loved that about him. But she didn't want him to get too caught up in it, like her own mother had done.

The computer finally loaded, and she quickly found herself engrossed in reading and responding to her emails. It was typical her inbox would fill after one day of not looking at it.

Her head snapped up when the door opened, Derek's voice immediately floating into the room, the harsh tone of annoyance obvious. She furrowed her brow, and searched out his gaze. He still hadn't seen her and had moved to face the window, all the while he pulled his hair through his fingers.

"Well, why hasn't it been done yet? I thought she signed those papers, and everything was sorted!" He groaned and ran his hand over his face.

She stood up and walked over to him, gnawing on her bottom lip. She reached a hand out to get his attention, and touched his arm. He turned to face her, finally realising she was there and giving her a small, if somewhat sad, smile. His arm slid around her middle and pulled her against him, only to hide his face in her hair with a small inhale. She moved her arms around him, in hopes that she was able to give him some comfort from the action.

His lips kissed the top of her head and he let out a small sigh. "I know, we'll just have to wait then, see what happens. Call me if anything changes."

Derek hung up the phone and stuffed it in his pocket before he lifted her chin with two fingers. He paused, as if he wanted to speak, but instead pressed his lips to hers. She welcomed the kiss, and slid her fingers into his hair. Both his arms moved around her waist and pulled her closer, a soft grunt vibrated against her as their bodies pressed together. Her tongue swiped his bottom lip as his fingers crept up her scrub top, small circles massaged against the base of her back.