Amazed and more than satisfied, they lay there holding each other and willing time and events to be different. After an indeterminate period of time, Derek got up and left the room without saying a word. Meredith lay there cold from his absence—cold to the depths of her soul.
What if you
Could wish me away
What if you
Spoke those words today
*******
Derek escaped. He dragged himself away before he was lost. Before he crossed all the lines he ached to cross. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't think. This was the cruelest form of torture. And yet he couldn't bear to make it stop. He couldn't even bear the thought of leaving Meredith the next day.
I wonder if you'd miss me
When I'm gone
It's come to this, release me
I'll leave before the dawn
Stumbling into Ellis' room, he collapsed on the floor and fell apart. It was too much to bear. Lying crumpled on the floor, he sobbed for everything that was not meant to be.
But for tonight
I'll stay here with you
Yes, for tonight
I'll lay here with you
But when the sun
Hits your eyes
Through your window
There'll be nothing you can do
He was so lost in his misery that he didn't hear her enter the room. He flinched when she sat beside him and pulled his grief-stricken body into her arms. She held him close, murmuring words of love, support, and apology until there were no more words. And he let her hold him and try to soothe a pain that was only matched by her own.
What if you
Could hear this song
What if I
Felt like I belong
I might not be leaving
Oh so soon
Began the night believing
I loved you in the moonlight
This was simply Meredith being there as his friend. Despite the intense physical attraction and all he'd just done for her, this wasn't at all sexual. She was helping him grieve the loss of this precious time together. She felt that she owed him that much and so much more. She was going to have to walk away from him twice. She didn't know how she'd manage to do it, but she realized now that despite his promises and his restraint and his insistence that seeing her would be enough for him, he was the more broken of the two. So she would have to be strong enough for both of them.
So, for tonight
I'll stay here with you
Yes, for tonight
I'll lay here with you
But when the sun
Hits your eyes
Through your window
There'll be nothing you can do
Sometime later, she took his hand and led him to the bed. They climbed in and held each other just one more time. Expecting to be sleepless, they both drifted off, content in true love's embrace.
So, for tonight
I'll stay here with you
Yes, for tonight
I'll lay here with you
But when the sun
Hits your eyes
Through your window
There'll be nothing you can do
YOU ARE READING
I Will Follow You Into the Dark
FanfictionThis story had a beginning. But we're no longer at the beginning of the story. Instead, we join a story that's already in progress--one that has evolved over time without the benefit of our watching its events unfold. Given the fact that we're jumpi...
