The Luckiest

22

Derek sighed as he wiped down the counter. He was ready to go home. It had been a long busy night and he was definitely ready to call it a day. The restaurant had been hopping all night, from the start of an early rush to right at close. And Meredith hadn't come in. Not that he really cared, just he was used to her coming in. So her not being there was weird. She had been sticking her head in his kitchen every day since they did inventory together a week before.

She had made inventory...bearable. More than bearable. They had worked in silence next to each other until almost one-thirty in the morning, laughing occasionally, but mostly in silence. It had been the first time he had ever remembered feeling totally comfortable in silence with someone. But with Meredith...he had. He had been comfortable. Until she had kissed his cheek good night.

He never expected the quick kisses on the cheek. Sophie kissed his cheek constantly but Sophie was his sister, Meredith was Meredith. The kiss made him blush and feel entirely uncomfortable in his own skin. And something else that was entirely too frightening to look into at the moment. The kiss on the cheek always left hims feeling awkward and like she had knocked him off his feet. Which he figured she was going for.

It was the only time she didn't really give him space. She was good about giving him space, about stopping conversation when it got too awkward, about taking a few steps back when she noticed he wasn't having a good day. But when she reached up to kiss him good night...he felt entirely invaded. He was never sure how to respond, but mostly, he felt slightly nauseous and scared.

She didn't seem to ever mind his lack of reaction, she would just smile quickly and dissapear like nothing out of the ordinary had happened and leaved him wishing he could get rid of the way his stomach rolled and the fear that shot through his body. It was nothing. It was a kiss on the cheek and it meant nothing. Meredith knew how he felt, and she respected it.

She was his friend. Or something. Nothing else. He didn't really even think they were friends, he didn't hang out with her, and the awkward moments when they did spend time together were nice, but always ended a little oddly. But she was his...something and she understood he wasn't ready. She understood he wasn't sure he'd ever be ready. No matter how much he wished he was, sometimes.

He only even felt like that around her, the wishing he was bit. Because if he was, he'd be interested, he'd be more than interested. But he wasn't. It couldn't go further than that because he simply wasn't ready. And at the rate things were going he was pretty sure he never was going to be. He bent over to throw something in the garbage as a giggle ripped through the silence, followed by loud music.

He straightened up quickly as he heard the giggle again, the entirely familiar giggle. So Meredith was here. She just hadn't poked her head in, which was odd. He moved towards the kitchen door, trying not to laugh as he heard Sophie sing entirely off key. "At first I was afraid, I was petrified!"

"Kept thinking I could never live without you by my side," Meredith's voice joined in, just as off key and more giggly than actually trying.

"But then I spent so many nights thinking how you did me wrong!" Sophie exclaimed, starting to bounce slightly as she picked up a fork and used it as a microphone.

"I grew strong, I learned how to carry on!" Meredith belted out loudly.

"And now you're back from outer space!" they both sang as they danced around the dining room, Meredith in tight jeans and a low cut black shirt, her hair slightly curled.

Derek's smile dropped from his face as he watched her. He was used to seeing her post work, her hair thrown into a cute ponytail, wearing jeans and a tshirt, sometimes a sweater. She always struck him as a girl that didn't try, she never wore tons of make up, she never dressed up. She had been appealing in a completely natural way. Tonight she looked entirely different.