Secret smile

57

Giggling would be bad. Giggling would be really, really bad. But Meredith couldn't stop. She actually couldn't stop as she pulled her sweater over her head. Derek loved her. He loved her and he loved when she spent the night and now he was taking her somewhere for a date that didn't require dressing up. She felt like a teenager or...something stupid. Because giggling over all of that was bad. Except she literally couldn't stop. She couldn't. She had planned on waiting ten years, or she had figured she would have to wait ten years. Even when they had gone on their completely perfect first date and after she couldn't stop thinking about him, she had kind of thought that he might like her but she hadn't thought of love. Because he was Derek. But he loved her. He really, really loved her, in a really big way. He loved her in a way that people generally didn't love her. But he loved her. Over the last week, she had spent almost every night with him, and he just whispered it again and again. They were in love. They were two people in love and she liked it, a lot. She liked telling him that she was in love with him, and she loved the way his eyes lit up.

He was happy. When he first said it, she hadn't been sure. Because he had cried and she had thought that maybe he didn't like being in love with her. But the last week had been bliss or something. She knew that sounded lame and cheesy but over the last week Derek hadn't stopped smiling once. And he said it constantly, he constantly told her he loved her and everything felt different. Sometimes, he texted her to just say it. To say I love you and it felt so...weird. Good weird, amazing weird, but still weird. And now he was taking her out and he wasn't expecting her to dress up and...she couldn't get over it. This wasn't what she had been expecting, but it was amazing. She was happy, beyond happy, and right now, she couldn't get over how good different everything felt.

"Meredith?" his voice came up the stairs. "Are you nearly ready to go?"

"Oh!" she giggled, slipping on her shoes before running down the steps. "I'm ready."

"Good," he smiled widely. "We do not need your friends to get here and start asking questions."

"They would just think we're hanging out," she shrugged.

"True," he nodded and then grinned. "But I couldn't tell you how good you look."

"I'm wearing a sweater and jeans," she rolled her eyes.

"You look beautiful."

"Jeans and a sweater, Der."

"Beautiful, Mer."

"Weird man," Meredith giggled breathlessly.

"You love me," he smirked.

"I do," she breathed.

"Hmmm..." he smiled, pulling her into his arms. "Want to get going?"

"Yeah," she nodded into his shoulder. "Where are we going?"

"Surprise."

"I hate surprises," she pouted as her hand found his.

"Well that's your problem, not mine," he laughed, squeezing her hand as he led her outside.

"Ass," she mumbled under her breath as she followed him. He looked good too, but she wasn't about to tell him that. His jeans hugged his ass perfectly, and of course his hair looked perfect. But then there was his face...his face was glowing or something, which definitely didn't make sense. But it was. It looked lighter or something.

"I heard that."

"Heard what?"

"You called me an ass."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh you do," he laughed, opening the car door for her. "You better be careful, Ms. Grey."