The Luckiest

36

Derek stared at the calm water in front of him, sipped his beer and tried to contain his recently permanent smile. He was fishing with Mark. Smiling like an idiot while fishing with Mark would be very bad. And he knew he had been smiling like an idiot as of late. He didn't quite know why, or what exactly was going on but the smile had been permanently glued to his mouth.

He was entirely sure he had never smiled this much in his entire life, and definitely not in the past eleven years. He wasn't even sure people smiled this much in an entire lifetime. And he really did need to stop, because he wasn't entirely sure why he was smiling this much, and he could only assume he looked entirely insane. But he just couldn't help it.

He was happy. He had kissed Meredith twice and held her hand through lunch. And he had kissed her on the cheek a handful of times. She wasn't his girlfriend. He didn't know what she was. He didn't even know why this was happening, except for everything felt entirely right, like something was falling into place, something really good. And he was happy, a little confused but happy.

"Shep, I think you're scaring the fish away," Mark groaned.

"How the hell would I be scaring the fish away?"

"With that dumbass grin, man. What the hell is the matter with you?"

"Nothing is the matter with me," Dere shrugged. "I'm happy. I'm fishing with my best friend. That's reason enough to be happy."

"Okay, if you're that happy to be around me, I've say we've got other problems."

"You're an idiot."

"We went fishing three weeks ago and you moped around like a fucking girl."

"I kissed Meredith."

"Bout fucking time."

"It's....she's amazing."

"In bed?"

"I said I kissed her."

"I assumed that led to sex."

"This is why you're a manwhore," Derek rolled his eyes. "I kissed her at the restaurant. And then at the hospital."

"And why didn't it lead to sex?"

"Restaurant. Hospital."

"Okay," Mark nodded. "And?"

"Mom was going to show up any second. And she was on her lunch break...whoever the ortho guy is would have killed her."

"Torres. Hot. Three very dirty times. She's a chick by the way."

"I'd hope so if you slept with her."

"And who cares if Mom was going to show up? Restrooms at the restaurant. We've all done it."

"My first time with Meredith is not going to be in a restroom."

"So there is going to be a first time," Mark smirked.

"Maybe. I don't know."

"What the hell do you mean?" Mark turned to him. "You're grinning like a fucking moron and you don't know if you're going to screw her?"

"It's....I'm not exactly sure what's happening," Derek sighed.

"Are you dating her?"

"No."

"Okay," Mark frowned. "Then what the hell are you doing?"

"I don't know," Derek sighed. "I didn't mean to kiss her. She was rambling about not being a Shepherd and not knowing restaurants and I just...kissed her."