Strangers in the night

49

Warm. The second she came to consciousness all she could feel was warm. And safe and happy. She still wasn't used to it, feeling all of that before she opened her eyes. But it was good, it was really good. And she couldn't help but wonder if she would feel it forever. If she would ever wake up beside him and not feel like she was in exactly the right place and everything was okay in the world.

She knew it was cheesy. She knew that if she actually ever said it to him, he might laugh. Or probably not laugh. He was Derek and he'd probably just kiss her and say something even more stupid cheesy. But still...she loved this. She loved waking up to his arm holding her tightly, his nose buried in her hair as he slept. She turned carefully in his arms, careful not to wake him as she buried her head in his chest.

He smelt good. She always liked the way he smelled in the morning. Something completely Dereky, a mixture of some soap that always made her think of outside and something that was so purely him that she just wanted to cuddle up into it and stay here forever. Which was probably cheesier. She should just stop thinking right now before she got any worse thoughts

This was perfect. They usually didn't go for the perfect thing because it wasn't them but this...this was perfect. Waking up next to Derek every day was completely perfect. Cheesy. He had probably poisoned her or something the night before to make her think all this cheesiness. Except last night had been amazing and she couldn't help but giggle at the two hours of making out on her couch.

The fact they spent that much time making out was insane. They were adults, grown ups, Derek was 40. Forty year olds weren't supposed to make out for hours on the couch, they were supposed to, she didn't actually really know for sure but she figured it was cuddling or something. But they made out. They made out like they were still horny teenagers. She loved it.

She hadn't actually made out that much with anyone since high school. Which was crazy. Completely crazy. She kept waiting for it to change, kept waiting for them to settle into some weird coupley thing where they didn't make out during a movie, but they weren't. It wasn't changing, and that only made her giggle a little bit more, trying to muffle the sound against his t-shirt.

"Hmmm..." he groaned lightly, his arms suddenly tightening around her.

"Go back to sleep," she murmured, pressing a small kiss to the corner of his lips.

"Giggling...why...early..." he mumbled, his eyes still closed.

"Sorry," she whispered. "Sleep, Der."

"Why were you giggling?" he asked again, his voice rough with sleep but sounding more coherent.

"Just....thinking," she shrugged. "Sorry."

"Thinking about things that make you giggle this early?"

"Yeah," she replied, her lips moving to trail light, feathery kisses down his stubbled jaw line. "Go back to sleep."

"Hmmm..." he groaned. "Can't."

"Can't?"

"Need to know why you're giggling," he laughed softly.

"Just...teenagers," she giggled softly, her breath tickling his neck.

"Teenagers? You're thinking about teenagers?"

"We're like teenagers," Meredith clarified.

"We are?"

"Teenagers make out a lot," she explained, her lips finding his. She gently took his lower lip between her teeth, sucking gently.

"Mer..." he gasped softly, dragging her closer to him.

"So it made me giggle," she breathed, running her hand up and down his side. "Because we make out...like teenagers."