7. Forever

Disclaimer: I wish.

Thanks for the reviews. I guess this chapter takes place a week or two later.

"Mer?", Derek asked as he knocked lightly on the bedroom door.

"You can come in", Meredith yelled to him.

Derek walked in the room to find Meredith wrapped in a towel. "Oh, did you want me to come back…once you're dressed?"

"No it doesn't matter. It's not like you haven't seen it all before. I just wanted to take a quick shower. Working with abscesses isn't all it's cracked up to be", Meredith said with a sigh.

"Yeah I guess not. I just wanted to tell you I was going to run to the store to pick up some things. There's no food in this house", Derek said with a smile.

"Hmm. You gonna cook for me?", Meredith asked as she walked up to him and kissed him softly.

"I guess I could", he said, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Am I seducing you?", she giggled.

"Seeing as you're wrapped in a towel and you smell like your conditioner, yeah. A little bit", he said with a smile before breathing in the scent of her hair.

"Good", Meredith said as she pulled away and walked over to her drawers. "So, what are you making for me?"

"Whatever you want."

"Hmm…how about steak?", she asked as she dropped her towel and pulled her panties on.

"Mer!", Derek said, half shocked and half amused.

"Oh, relax", Meredith sighed, rolling her eyes. "Consider yourself lucky. I wouldn't do that in front of anybody else but you."

"Good to know", he said with a smile.

"So…steak", Meredith repeated, as she clasped her bra and pulled on some pajamas.

"I can do that", he said with a nod.

"Good."

"I love you", Derek said as he hugged her and kissed her cheek. "I'll be back in a little while."

"Okay", Meredith said, her face pressed against his chest.

"You're going to have to let go", he laughed.

"In a minute."

"Okay", he said softly as they stood in the embrace of each other's arms for a while.

Meredith's growling stomach broke the silence. "Hungry?", Derek joked.

"Very. You can go now", Meredith said as she pulled back from their hug.

"Okay. Love you", he said with a smile.

"Love you too", she smiled back.

After Derek left, Meredith went down to tidy up the house. While she was cleaning the living room, the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hey", she heard Cristina's voice say on the other end.

"Hey. What's up? Are you okay?", Meredith asked.

"Ugh. Callie invited McSteamy and Hahn over", Cristina said in a disgusted tone.

"What? Why?"

"Apparently they're friends. I swear it's like Three's Company over here."

"Where are you?"

"Camped out in my room with beer and cereal", Cristina said as she shoveled a handful into her mouth.

"Kick them out."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because. Hahn already hates me, and I still have to get on her good side if I want a future in cardio. Kicking her out is a one way ticket to ortho…or the vagina squad", Cristina shuddered.

"What are they doing?", Meredith asked.

"Playing games. I think. I'm not sure. I haven't been out there in a while."

"Well, if you think you can get out of there unnoticed, you can come over. Derek's cooking dinner when he gets home from the food store."

"What are you doing?", Cristina asked.

"Cleaning."

"Seriously? You clean and he cooks. You two need to have sex."

"Ugh, I know", Meredith sighed. "It's been a few weeks, and the beast is getting impatient."

"Honestly, how long do you think you can go before you're tearing each other's clothes off again?", Cristina asked.

"Not much longer. And I feel bad making him wait", Meredith confessed.

"Just do him."

"You sound like Alex", Meredith joked.

"Even still…"

"I want to. Does that make me look weak? If I want to start having sex with him again?", Meredith asked.

"I doubt McDreamy would protest."

"Me either…anyway, you can come over", Meredith repeated.

"Nah I'm okay", Cristina told her.

"You're just going to live off of your beer and cereal rations until they leave?", Meredith joked.

"I'd rather do that than watch you and Derek have eye sex. Thanks for the offer though. I have to study for surgery tomorrow anyway."

"You sure? If you change your mind, just come over", Meredith told her.

"Okay. Thanks. See you tomorrow", Cristina said.

"Okay. Bye", Meredith said with a smile as she went to hang up the phone.

"Wait—", Cristina yelled into the phone.

"What?"

"I want sex details. If you two decide to 'feed the beast', I want details. I'm not getting any", Cristina told her.

Meredith laughed. "There will be no 'feeding of the beast.' Not tonight anyway."

"Sure, Meredith. Whatever you say", Cristina said sarcastically.

"Shut up", Meredith said, still laughing. "See you later."

"Bye", Cristina said as they ended their conversation.

Eventually, Derek came home to discover Meredith cleaning up the dining room. "Hey", he said with a smile. "You're cleaning?"

"I am. Proud of me?", Meredith giggled as she left the mess momentarily to join him in the kitchen as he started to make dinner for them.

"Of course", he said, kissing her softly.

"So Cristina called. Apparently Callie, Mark, and Hahn are hanging out in her living room. So she barricaded herself in her room. I invited her over, but she said no because…", Meredith said before stopping herself.

"Because why?"

"Apparently we have eye sex, and she didn't want to watch", Meredith said with a slight laugh.

"Hmm. I think she's right", Derek smiled as he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him as he began kissing her neck, causing her to lose all coherent thought.

"Derek", she moaned. "Dinner."

"Okay", he said, continuing to kiss her.

"Der", she moaned again. "Hungry."

"Okay", he said, pulling away from her.

"Wait", Meredith said, pulling him back and pressing a kiss to his lips. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"I want to help you", Meredith said as she took the items out of the bag and put them on the table.

"You sure?"

"Yes. I'm sure", she smiled.

"Okay. You can peel the potatoes", he said with a smile.

"Okay", she said as she walked over to the drawer to get the peeler before taking a seat at the island.

As Derek marinated the steak, Meredith felt his eyes on her. "You're looking at me", she said with a smirk.

"I'm not looking at you", he said, shaking his head.

"You're looking at me", she repeated.

"This conversation sounds all too familiar", he said with a smile.

"Hmm?", Meredith asked.

"Oh come on. Have you forgotten about the amazing sex…at the prom", he said with raised brows.

"Oh. That conversation. Yeah", Meredith said, suddenly flustered.

"What's wrong?", he asked, a look of concern on his face.

"Oh…nothing…I just…nothing…peeling", she said with a nod.

"Mer."

"Sex", she blurted out.

"What?"

"Sex. I want sex. And I know you want it. And I think it's been long enough. I trust you and I know you're not going to leave me. And that you love me. And we're okay. So I was thinking we could maybe have sex again", she said quickly.

"What?", Derek asked softly.

"Sex", she repeated.

"Not that. The other part", he said, a small smile forming on his lips.

"Oh…the part about…I just…we're okay. I'm happy…and I trust you…and I love you", she said, biting her lip.

"That would be the part", he said as he walked over to her and spun the chair around so she was facing him. "We're okay."

"We're okay", she said softly.

"I love you. I love you so much", he said as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I love you too", she said, resting her face against his chest. "So…sex."

"Mer, I'll wait. Don't feel pressured. It's up to you", he said softly, looking into her green eyes.

"I think…I think I'm ready again", she said with a small nod.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I just…sex is important to us. I think that maybe it'll help us, you know, with the commitment thing. It might give us more…"

"Reassurance?"

"Yeah", she said. "I couldn't think of the word."

"That's why I'm here", he joked.

"Cheesy", she giggled.

"You're mean", he said as he kissed her neck again.

"Der…food now…sex….later", she said with great difficulty.

"Okay", he said softly before kissing her forehead and walking back around the island to finish making dinner.

"So…we can have sex…tonight?", she suggested.

"As long as you're okay with it, I'm okay with it", he assured her.

"I am. Believe me, I am. Actually, I'm surprised we went this long", she laughed.

"The cuddling was nice. I'm all for the cuddling", he smiled.

"I like the cuddling too", she said with a small smile. "You're the first person I've ever done that with", she confessed.

"Done what with?"

Meredith shrugged. "Cuddle. Physical affection was never my mother's strong suit. I don't know…I just…I like when you just hold me", she said, blushing slightly.

"I like it too. In fact, I love it", he said with a smile. Inside, his heart was aching for her. He wondered if Ellis had ever hugged her. Or kissed her. Or did anything that parents usually did. He doubted it. But he was there now. And he was staying. He planned on holding her for the rest of their lives. He decided against saying this out loud, for fear it would freak her out. If she wanted baby steps, that was fine with him.

They finished cooking and ate their food happily. They were comfortable around each other. Conversation came easily. There was never an awkward silence. They could be themselves, and that was enough for them.

"I'll clean up. You can go take a shower", Meredith told him with as smile when they were finished eating.

"I got it."

"No. You already made me dinner. Now I want you to go relax. And then…we'll have sex", she said with a grin.

"Bossy", he said as he pressed his lips against hers.

"You like bossy", she murmured against his lips. "Go. Shower."

"Okay", he said as he reluctantly pulled back from her and headed upstairs.

After she cleaned up the kitchen, Meredith continued tidying up the dining room, doing anything she could to take her mind off of her horniness. As she was cleaning, she came across something that caught her eye. The house plans. The ones Derek had left there the day he told her about them.

Meredith figured she had done enough cleaning for the day and decided to go up to bed. After brushing her teeth, she crawled into bed and opened the tube with the blueprints. She spread them out on the bed. Memories flooded her mind. French doors. Kids bedrooms. Guest bedrooms. Huge windows overlooking Seattle. A big backyard with enough room for a patio, pool, and a trampoline. And enough room for kids to run around in. Their dream house. As Meredith studied them, she found herself blinking away tears. It was perfect. Everything about it was perfect.

In that moment, she realized she wanted it. All of it. She and Derek. A marriage. A house. This house. The one on the blueprints. And kids. Kids that were a little piece of both of them. Kids that she would love so much it scared her.

Looking at those blueprints, their future on paper, Meredith could no longer fight back the tears. The dam burst. Several tears managed to stain the blueprints, but Meredith didn't care. All she could think about in that moment was Derek. What am I doing?, she asked herself. This is Derek. The man I met in a bar and fell in love with. The man who changed my life without ever trying. The man that makes my world stop. The only person that knows me, the real me. All he has to do is look at me and he knows what I'm feeling. The only man I ever loved, and that ever loved me. My soul mate. The love of my life.

As Meredith sat there, contemplating her newfound realization, Derek entered the room. "Hey", he said happily until he saw her, tears streaming down her face. "What's wrong?", he asked as he got in the bed with her, noticing the house plans strewn across the covers.

"I just…this…us. I want it. I want it, Derek. All of it. And I want it with you. I don't want to wait anymore. I'm…this is…Derek, I love you", she said as she continued to cry.

Derek sat there in shock until his mind comprehended all she had just said. "Meredith", was all he could manage to say.

"Derek. I'm in this…with you. I want this. I'm sure", she said, smiling in spite of the tears.

"Everything? As in…you and me, and a house, and—", he asked before Meredith cut him off.

"And a marriage, and kids. Yes", she nodded.

"I…when did all this...I'm…"

"I don't know. I just…after I blurted out all of those things in the kitchen, I didn't even think about what I said. I just said it, and I realized it was all true …and then, I saw the blueprints and I knew that must be a sign or something. A sign that I should just go for it, you know? Stop being afraid, and just trust in it. This is it for me, Derek", she said, tears still free flowing down her face.

Derek's vision blurred and all he could do was nod. He took her face in his hands and kissed her deeply. "I love you, Meredith."

"I love you too", she said, her voice barely audible.

"I love you. I love you. I love you", he repeated over and over between kisses.

"I love you", Meredith answered breathlessly every time.

"I really love you."

"I love you too."

"Meredith."

"Hmm?"

"Marry me", he said as he broke their kiss.

Meredith froze and looked at him, tears filling her eyes again. "Huh?"

"Marry me", he repeated, looking directly into her bright green eyes.

"Der", she gasped.

"Meredith, will you marry me?", he asked, his heart so full of love for the woman next to him, sitting in her pajamas, her honey hair splayed over the tiny frame of her shoulders.

After looking at him for a few moments, her brain trying to form a word, any word, she finally spoke. "Yes", she said, erupting into a fit of tears. "Yes", she repeated, this time with a smile, before leaning her head against his shoulder, staining his white t-shirt with tears.

"Yes?", he asked, in shock.

"Yes", she breathed.

"Real yes? Like 'actually getting married and being husband and wife and spending a lifetime together' yes?", he asked with wide eyes.

"Yes", she whispered, pressing her lips against his.

"Okay."

"Okay."

"I love you", he repeated for the thousandth time that night.

"I love…I'm…we're…oh my God…you're my…we're…engaged", she panted, barely able to catch her breath after everything that had just happened.

"Yeah", he said, swallowing hard, his heart pounding in his chest. He was still trying to make sense of the past five minutes. He had no intention of asking her to marry him. It just came out. And yet, even if he had planned it, it couldn't have gone any better.

"Oh my God, Derek", she said as she looked into his eyes. "Is this…are we…is this really happening?"

"I don't know. I think so", he said with a nod.

"Yeah."

"Are you okay?", he asked.

Meredith nodded. "Yeah. I am. I love you, Derek."

"I love you too, Meredith", he said as he wrapped his arms around her. Meredith did the same, hugging him back.

"Oh my God", she whispered, kissing his cheek. "Derek."

"I know", he said as he gently rubbed her back, afraid that any second he'd wake up from a dream.

"This is it?"

"This is it", he assured her. He had never been more certain of anything in his life.

In this moment, the world was confined to Meredith's bedroom. Nothing else mattered. It was just Meredith and Derek. Right then, life was perfect. And as long as they were together, it always would be.

Forever.

I know. Farfetched. And yet…I'm hopeful. Maybe Shonda will give them happiness one day. So I might take a bit of break with this story for a while. At least until I plan out where I want to go from here. I might even stop until the end of season four depending on where Shonda takes it. We'll see. :)

Reviews make me happy.