Where You Belong

12

It was late afternoon when Derek knocked against the familiar front door, and waited patiently for it to be opened. After several long moments, a pyjama ridden, slightly flustered Meredith pulled open the door.

"Derek," she stated, her voice raspy with sleep.

"Hey, I'm sorry I woke you," he said gently, stepping into the front hall and taking in her bedridden appearance. "I thought you'd be up by now."

She sighed and leaned into his chest. It had been a busy week, and she had worked a thirty hour shift, only to be pulled into an emergency surgery at the end. Her shift had been scheduled to end the previous evening, but she hadn't left the hospital until that morning, actually meeting Derek in the parking lot as he was coming in and she was leaving. "S'okay. I'm glad you're here. Though, I keep telling you to just let yourself in," She added lightly.

He rested his chin on her head and rubbed her back. "Did you have a good sleep?"

She nodded against him. "Out for the count, though I feel like I could sleep another ten or twenty hours..."

He laughed and released her with a kiss on the forehead. "Are you still up to going out tonight?"

She met his eyes and hesitated, before finally shaking her head. "I'm sorry, but I'm just so tired. Would you be okay if we ordered in and crashed on the couch instead?"

Derek smiled and nodded. "Of course." It had been two months since he had officially 'picked her' and their relationship had taken on a dimension it hadn't had before; one implicating a strong sense of permanence. It was no longer scheduled dates and last minute sleepovers. It was assumed they would do things together on most of their nights off. And they spent nights together more often than not. They both worked long hours in the hospital, and more than once they had taken to ordering takeout and eating in their pyjamas in her living room. "And because you're so tired, I won't even argue with you about what we order..."

Meredith smirked. "You mean I can order whatever I want?"

He scoffed. "It's not like you don't always order whatever you want anyway. I just won't argue this time."

She laughed. "Okay, it's a deal. And thanks, for being okay with this..." Her voice took on the uncertain tone that he couldn't seem to rid her of.

"It's not a problem, Mer," he said lightly. "I remember what it was like to be an intern. And I still get to have dinner with you. It's win-win." He reassured her as best he could, hoping, as usual, he would never again hear her voice take on that low, vulnerable quality when speaking with him, but knowing full well he would. It still made him feel guilty every time, for the uncertainty in him and their relationship that he had implanted, but he was beginning to understand that it wasn't entirely his fault. There was definitely some history there that was directing her moves. And hopefully, with time, she would one day trust him enough to talk it all through.

"Really?"

"Really," he confirmed with a smile, glad the voice was gone. "Now, why don't you order the disgusting cheesy pizza I know is on your mind, and I'll go and change?"

She rolled her eyes, but he knew he had hit it dead on when she didn't respond. He'd be eating pizza for dinner. Again.

He left her in the front hall and padded quietly up the stairs. Stepping into the sanctuary of what he was slowly starting to refer to as their room in his head, he shed his jeans and light sweater and pulled a pair of track pants and an old tee out of the bottom drawer of the dresser. It had only been two weeks prior that he had been 'given' two drawers of his own.

After dressing for bed, Derek had carefully folded his clothes and placed them in a neat pile on the floor beside his shoulder bag, ready to be pulled back on the following morning. He had taken to bringing a small overnight bag with him on most nights, however tonight he hadn't planned on being here. Meredith had been asked to switch shifts at the last minute, suddenly leaving her evening free, so they had taken advantage to go out to see a movie and grab a bite to eat.