45. An Addition
Disclaimer: Nope, not mine.
Thanks for the reviews. I really appreciate them.
"Happy birthday," Derek smiled as he leaned over the bed and kissed his wife, who was still half asleep under the blanket. Meredith murmured something inaudible in response, making no attempt to sit up, so he simply set her coffee on the nightstand and crawled back into bed with her. It was still early, so he figured a few quiet minutes in bed together were okay.
Derek kissed the back of her head and wrapped his arm around her waist. Meredith sighed softly, taking his hand in her own and scooting her body closer to his. "Thank you," she whispered.
"You're welcome." He rubbed her arm softly for a few minutes, and eventually, she rolled around in his arms to face him.
"Hey," she said with a small smile; her voice still crackly and full of sleep.
Derek smiled back at her. "Morning."
"I'm thirty two," she frowned, pouting her lips slightly.
"Already?" he asked.
Meredith brushed her hair from her face and nodded. "I was born at four in the morning. I bet that pissed my mom off..." she giggled.
"Probably did," Derek chuckled.
As some of the sleepiness wore off, she stretched out a bit and smiled at him. "You're still letting me cut today, right?"
"Of course," he agreed. "It's a corpus callosotomy, so you're in luck."
Meredith's eyes brightened and she gasped. "Are you serious?"
"I am," Derek nodded. "I'm going to let you do the whole thing. You're ready. I'll be there to watch and help you if you need it, but this is your day. You can do it," he said assuringly.
One of the things she loved most about Derek was his confidence in her. Sometimes, she wasn't so sure in herself, but Derek's belief in her never wavered. "I love you," Meredith murmured, leaning in to kiss him.
"I love you too," he smiled as he rolled her on top of him.
Meredith looked to her husband and gave him a small smirk after breaking the kiss. "Remember how we had sex like...twenty times on your birthday? Well, I want that too," she giggled.
"Bed or shower?" Derek asked, easing his fingers under her shirt to rub her back with his fingertips.
"Shower," she replied, rolling off of him. "We can save the bed sex for work. And then more bed and shower when we get home..."
"You're the boss," he chuckled as Meredith took his hand and led him into their attached bathroom.
She kicked the door shut with her foot before eagerly pressing her lips against his. "Yep. I am."
--
When Meredith walked into the residents' lounge to prepare for her shift that morning, she was taken by surprise by the decorations she found there. Izzie, she thought to herself. Above her cubby was a birthday banner, as well as balloons attached to her coat hook. "Happy birthday!" Izzie said excitedly.
Meredith smiled at her friends. "Thanks, you guys."
"I baked you a cake, but we can't eat it until lunch," she explained, pulling her hair back into a ponytail. "I did make you a birthday muffin though, which you would have gotten this morning, but you just had to go and move out..." Izzie said jokingly.
"Thanks, Iz," she said graciously, putting the blueberry pastry in her cubby so she could quickly change into her scrubs.
Cristina sat up from her reclined position on the bench and gave her friend a tired smile. "Happy birthday."
"What's wrong with you?" Meredith giggled, slipping on her scrub pants.
"I was on-call while you were home getting laid," Cristina groaned, lying back on the bench once again and putting her arm over her eyes.
"Birthday sex. Nice," Alex grinned as he clipped his ID badge to his pocket.
Izzie rolled her eyes. "Stop."
"I'm just saying...she has that glowy sex look on her face," he shrugged in explanation.
"You do," George agreed, laughing slightly.
Meredith gasped. "I do not."
"Don't be embarrassed. Celebrate it," Alex grinned as the five of them left the room to go find Bailey for their assignments.
When they met her in the hall, their former resident smiled. "Happy Birthday, Dr. ...Shepherd," Bailey said as she wrote on the OR board.
"Mer gets to do a corpus callosotomy? Not fair!" Cristina said with wide eyes as she noticed her friend's name written on the schedule.
Meredith smiled proudly. "My husband loves me..."
"I'm gonna throw up," Cristina groaned. "Dr. Bailey, is McDreamy allowed to do that?"
"Yang, I was kind enough to put you on cardio today. So I suggest you shut your mouth before I have a change of heart and send you to the pit."
Cristina immediately straightened her shoulders and smiled. "Very happy to be working with Dr. Dixon. Thank you," she said quickly.
Bailey chuckled slightly. "That's what I thought. Okay, O'Malley, you're with Hunt. Stevens, you're on OB. Alex, you're with me."
After everyone had dispersed, Meredith made her way to the elevator. Derek told her to meet in their patient's room to go over the procedure before they would scrub in at ten. When she saw him in the hall, she smiled. "Good morning, Dr. Shepherd," Derek grinned, keeping his tone professional.
Meredith couldn't help but giggle. "Good morning."
The two walked into the room and greeted the patient and her family. "Good morning, Lauren. Remember me?" Derek asked.
The little nine year old girl nodded shyly and looked to Meredith curiously.
"And I'm...Dr. Shepherd," Meredith said, also introducing herself.
The girl's father smiled. "Strange coincidence or...?"
"He's my husband, actually," she explained with a nod.
"Really? You don't hear that every day," Lauren's mother laughed slightly.
Derek grinned. "We just got married a few weeks ago. It's still weird for us too."
"Well, congratulations," they said in unison.
"Thank you," Meredith responded, looking to Derek briefly before reading over the little girl's history as well as explaining the surgery to the three of them. "So I'll come back in to prep you in an hour or so, and then at ten, we'll go into surgery," she said with an assuring smile, attempting to lift the scared little girl's spirits.
After the two of them left the room, Meredith stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. "I'm going to take her blood work down to the lab. So I'll see you later on, okay?"
Derek nodded. "Don't forget to start thinking about dog names...
"I am," she giggled as she began walking down the hall. "And we're getting a puppy."
"Your birthday, your choice," he laughed.
"You're so whipped, man," Mark grinned, overhearing the conversation as he stood at the nurses' station writing in a patient chart.
Derek spun around and faced his friend. "Yeah. I know," he smirked.
"Grey has you wrapped around her little finger," he pointed out as he flipped the chart shut. "That doesn't get annoying?"
"She gives me sex. So, no, not really," Derek laughed.
"Good point."
--
"What's next, Dr. Shepherd?" Derek asked his wife as the two of them stood over their patient's open brain on the OR table.
"After partial separation of the cerebral hemispheres, I have to locate the corpus callosum and separate the fibers from one side of the brain to the other," Meredith explained as she gave full concentration to the patient in front of her.
"Excellent," he replied, watching her closely.
Meredith took the scalpel from the scrub nurse and performed the surgery with the finest precision, just as Derek knew she would. After the surgery was complete, Meredith looked to him; he could see the smile come over her face despite the mask she was wearing. "Wow..." she gasped.
"You did great," Derek grinned. "I knew you could do it."
"Thanks," Meredith breathed, pulling off her gloves and depositing them in the trash can.
As the two began scrubbing off their hands, Derek kissed her forehead. "You deserved it. I'm really proud of you."
"That was..." she started, finding herself at a loss for words as she attempted to describe the feeling.
"Such a high?" Derek offered, smiling slightly as he recalled what she had said to him so long ago.
"Yeah. Exactly," Meredith nodded as she grabbed a paper towel and began drying her hands. She knew this moment would be one she'd never forget. And it was all thanks to her husband.
Derek wrapped his arms around her waist after drying his own hands. "I love you," he said, leaning in to kiss her.
Meredith smiled against his lips. "I love you too."
--
"So have you thought of any names yet?" Derek asked as the two of them drove to the animal shelter located close to the hospital. After their shifts, Meredith found Derek and practically dragged him from the building, not that he didn't want to go; he had just never seen her so antsy to do anything before.
Meredith dropped her head against the head rest of her seat. "Nope. You?"
"I think we should see him first," Derek replied, switching lanes so he could get off at the exit.
"Him?" she asked.
Derek shrugged noncommittally. "Or her. It doesn't matter to me."
"What if they're brother and sister and they don't want to be split up?" Meredith asked hypothetically. "Then what?"
"Well then, I guess we'd be getting two dogs," he laughed, knowing there was no way he'd ever win that argument if that were the case.
Meredith smiled sweetly at her husband. "Okay then."
Derek pulled into the parking lot of the shelter and turned off the ignition. "These places are usually pretty sad. Are you sure you don't want to go to the pet store?" he asked.
"No," Meredith said, shaking her head adamantly. "Those animals have a better chance of being adopted. The animals here...no so much," she sighed sadly.
"Okay," Derek nodded. "Ready to go in?"
Meredith looked to her husband and kissed him quickly. "Yep. Let's go."
Once inside, Meredith and Derek were greeted by one of the shelter employees, who said the two were free to look around on their own. Derek tooks Meredith's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze before they entered the large, surprisingly friendly looking, room with all of the prospective pets. "A puppy, right?" he asked.
Meredith nodded. "Yeah."
"Puppies are on the other side," Derek said, pointing to a sign posted on the wall. The two walked to the right side of the shelter and were immediately greeted with the barks of both large and small dogs.
Meredith walked over the one of the cages and smiled at one of the dogs. "Hello there," she giggled, letting the puppy lick her hand.
"How big do you want the dog to get?" he asked, reading the information tag attached to the cage.
"I don't know. What do you think?" Meredith questioned as she walked over to another cage and began scratching another puppy behind the ears.
Derek shrugged. "Doesn't matter. Nothing yappy, preferably..."
"No poodles?" she asked with a small giggle.
"I'd rather not," he admitted.
Meredith looked to him and smirked. "You want one that'll be able to herd our flock of Shepherds?" she asked jokingly.
"I'm just saying..." he laughed, "...a poodle isn't really good with kids."
"I don't want a poodle. Don't worry," Meredith said with an assuring smile. She stood up and kissed his cheek. "Maybe something medium sized, like Doc was?"
"Sounds good," Derek agreed.
Meredith walked over to a few more cages before noticing a particular one that looked empty. She knelt down and peered inside before gasping. "Oh Derek..."
"What?" he asked curiously, walking over and kneeling down in front of the cage next to his wife.
"Him," she said sweetly. "Derek, look at him."
"He looks scared," Derek pointed out as Meredith stuck a few fingers in the bars in an attempt to get the dog to come closer.
Meredith smiled slightly when the tiny, white and brown lab sniffed her fingers. "He's the one, Derek."
Derek could tell by the look on Meredith's face that this little puppy was the one they'd be going home with. Seeing her happy meant more to him than anything else. If she happened to fall in love with a fluffy poodle, he wouldn't have been able to protest either. "Okay," he whispered, smiling softly.
After unhooking the latch on the cage, Derek opened the door and Meredith reached inside, frowning slightly when the puppy backed away from her. "Hey, little guy. It's okay," she said quietly so she wouldn't scare him. The dog slowly inched his way toward her, and Meredith picked him up. "Hi," she said, holding him close to her.
"Hey there," Derek smiled, scratching the puppy behind the ear. "Want to come home with us?"
The dog looked to Derek curiously. "I think that's a yes," Meredith giggled.
The three of them walked to the front desk to fill out the paperwork, but Meredith paid no attention. As Derek signed form after form, she just continued petting the dog's soft fur and cuddling it close against her chest. When they finally left, Derek looked to his wife and smiled. "We need to go to the pet store and pick up a few things for him."
"Okay," Meredith nodded, paying half-hearted attention as she got into the car and buckled her seat belt. "We're going to go get some toys for you," she explained to the puppy, who was looking around the car.
"Why do I have a feeling I'm not getting sex tonight?" Derek smirked.
Meredith laughed. "It's my birthday and you promised me. So there will be sex," she said definitively.
"Okay then," he nodded with a grin. "Do you want to stop off and get take-out somewhere...maybe the Italian place you like? Then we could go home and you could open your gifts?" he suggested.
"Love to," she said happily as the puppy licked her chin.
When he stopped at a red light, Derek looked over to his wife and smiled. Knowing Meredith was happy was the greatest feeling. He knew her birthdays in the past probably weren't nearly as pleasant, most likely consisting of a day spent with the nanny, and when she got older, a bottle of tequila. So making sure this day was perfect for her was his goal. And so far, it was.
--
They arrived home an hour or so later after stopping at the pet store and the small restaurant to pick up dinner. The smile hadn't left Meredith's face the whole time. She and Derek were seated at the kitchen table eating while the new puppy sat perched on her lap. Since leaving the shelter, the new three month old puppy had warmed up to his new owners somewhat, and didn't seem so afraid anymore. Meredith bit into a meatball and looked to Derek. "He needs a name," she pointed out as she chewed.
Derek smiled. "Yeah, he does."
"Nothing too cutesy," Meredith said, shaking her head.
"How about..." Derek thought for a moment. "Petey?"
Meredith looked to her husband with an apathetic expression. "Petey? Seriously?" she asked, incredulous.
"What's wrong with Petey?" he asked as he twirled some spaghetti on his fork.
Meredith handed the dog a small biscuit. "Petey is the name of the guy that shot up that restaurant...and Burke," she reminded him.
Derek frowned. "Oh right. Well, what does he look like then?"
"Hmm...Sammy?" Meredith suggested.
Derek shook his head and laughed, causing a frown from Meredith. "What's wrong with Sammy?" she asked.
"Nancy's daughter's name is Samantha. We all call her Sammy. Not gonna work," he chuckled, taking a sip of his drink. "How about...Toby?"
Meredith rolled her eyes. "That's even worse than Petey," she scoffed.
"I like Toby," Derek argued. "It's a cute name for a dog."
"Okay, a little F.Y.I...when if comes to naming our kids, you have no say," Meredith said.
Derek laughed, unsure of whether or not she was serious. "Fine. Not Toby..."
Meredith picked up the dog and studied his little brown and white face for a few moments, biting her lip in contemplation. "How about Charlie?" she said eventually.
He thought it over for a minute or two before nodding slowly. "Charlie...I kind of like that, actually."
"Yeah?" Meredith asked, slightly surprised.
"Yeah. Charlie Shepherd sounds like a good name to me," Derek grinned.
Meredith nodded and kissed the top of the puppy's head. "Charlie it is," she concluded. "Welcome to the family, little guy."
--
"You got me a new watch!" Meredith exclaimed, removing the remainder of wrapping paper from the small gift box and dropping it on the living room floor. "I wanted one..."
"Which is why I got one for you," Derek said with a smile as he leaned in to kiss her. Meredith finally gave up possession of the dog for a while so she could open her gifts, and Charlie was content lying on Derek's lap as the two sat next to her.
Meredith squeezed his hand gently. "Thank you," she whispered.
"You're welcome," he replied, kissing her temple.
By the time all of her presents were unwrapped, she accumulated a pile of things she either wanted or needed, and Derek knew she was thankful. There was a new watch, a new pair of Converse sneakers that she actually picked out for herself, and let him wrap for her. Derek offered to go the store himself, but she insisted that she needed to try them on first to make sure they were a good fit. He got her new pajama pants, a new memo board for her cubby, even her own pillow for when she slept in the on-call room, something she'd been talking about getting since he practically met her--nothing glamorous, just things that she wanted but mean a lot to her, especially coming from her husband. Of course, Derek stopped off at Victoria's Secret to get her come lingerie, more so for his benefit than hers.
When Meredith pulled the almost see-through nightie from the pink bag, she swatted Derek playfully on the arm. "Derek," she giggled, unable to hide her smile despite her best angry face.
"What?" Derek chuckled. "No one is going to see you in that except me...and maybe the dog. One of the benefits of having our own house."
"Hmm...true," Meredith sighed. "If you're lucky, I may even wear it tonight."
Derek grinned as he leaned in to kiss her again. "Can't wait."
"Thank you, Derek," she said sincerely. "I love everything."
"There's one more thing," Derek said, kissing her cheek before hopping up off the floor. "I'll be right back."
Meredith wondered what else her husband may have gotten for her, and when he came back into the room with a large square present, her curiously peaked even more. "What is that?"
Derek laughed, setting the gift in front of her. "You just have to open it..."
Meredith raised up to her knees and slowly peeled back the wrapping paper, gasping in awe when she figured out what it was. "How did you...is this from the honeymoon?"
"Yeah," Derek said softly. "Remember the day we went to the little market for souvenirs and stuff? Well, when you were talking to one of the shop owners about cheese or something, I spotted this Italian guy--college kid, I think--drawing the scene in front of him...the market and the flowers and stuff. We got to talking and he said that sometimes, people asked him to sketch things for them, so I asked him if there was a way he could draw the Bridge of Sighs and a gondola or something. When he said he would, I knew it was something you'd like, so I paid him to do it."
"You did that for me?" Meredith asked, slightly tearful as she looked to her husband.
Derek chuckled a little. "He dropped it off at the hotel, and I gave the manager directions on where to send it. He shippped it back to your house, and I called Izzie to tell her to keep it hidden so you wouldn't see it."
"Der..." she smiled. "I...oh my God."
"You like it?"
Meredith wiped a tear away and nodded. "I love it. Thank you."
"You're welcome," he whispered, pulling her onto his lap. "I love you, too."
"Can we hang it above the fireplace?" she asked, thinking how nice it would look in that spot, one of the many treasures that would become Shepherd family heirlooms.
Derek smiled. "Absolutely."
"You're getting so lucky tonight," Meredith giggled as she ran her fingers through his hair.
"Looking forward to it..." he said with a grin.
"But first we need to give Charlie a bath," she pointed out, scooping the dog off Derek's lap and holding him close to her chest. "He deserves to be all fresh and clean. Don't you, buddy?" she giggled.
"Fine," Derek conceded. "But then...it's you...and me...naked...for birthday sex..." he said between kisses.
Meredith smiled against his lips. "I think I like this birthday thing."
--
"Where's he going to sleep?" Meredith asked.
The two had bathed him in the tub just as Meredith had wanted to, and now the only thing on Derek's mind was his wife, and finding a way for her to come to bed. But somehow, he knew doing so would be difficult, considering she had already fallen in love with the puppy. "I was thinking...maybe we could put is bed in the hallway on the window seat at least for tonight while you and I...do birthday things. It's cozy, and close enough to our room so he won't get scared," he reasoned.
"Okay," she whispered, kissing the top of Charlie's head. "I just want to let him outback first to pee."
Derek nodded. "Okay. I'll be here...naked...and waiting."
Meredith smiled at her cheesy husband before kissing him quickly. "You do that. I'll be back in a few minutes."
While Meredith was outback with Charlie, Derek hastily removed his clothes and pulled back the covers on the bed. Just to add to the fun, he stopped off after work yesterday for some glow-in-the-dark condoms, knowing they'd make her happy. They hadn't used them since Valentine's Day, and he figured her birthday would be a good time to revive them. He opened the drawer in the nightstand and pulled out a few. Dropping down onto the bed, Derek made himself comfortable while waiting for his wife to return.
Meredith came back into the room several minutes later, giggling when she saw him lying on the bed naked. "Keeping your promise?" she asked flirtatiously, walking over to the bed and straddling him.
"Yep," Derek murmured as he began sucking on her neck before trailing his tongue up behind her ear--a trick he learned some time ago. "Is the dog okay?"
"He's in the hall in his bed," she replied, losing all coherent thought as he flipped her onto her back in one swift movement. "Derek..." she giggled.
He reached for the hem of her shirt and began pulling it over her head. "What?" he asked with a chuckle.
"What about my nightie?" she asked half-heartedly. At this point, she was more than willing to surrender herself to him, nightie or not.
Derek paused momentarily and smirked at her. "Want me to go downstairs and get it?"
"No," Meredith said definitively, pulling him down on top of her again. "There's always tomorrow..."
"Good point," he agreed, finally succeeding in removing her shirt. "Now...pants off." Derek moved down to the bottom of the bed and pulled off her jeans and panties at the same time, leaving her in her bra.
Rather than waste any more time, Meredith arched her back and unhooked it herself. She tossed it on the floor and dropped her head back onto the pillows, waiting for him to lavish her body with attention. Just as he dropped his head to kiss her breasts, their foreplay was interrupted by a scratching at the door. "What the hell?" Derek groaned, glancing briefly at the door before returning his gaze to Meredith's body.
"Derek..." she whined. "He wants to come in."
Derek sighed and reluctantly rolled off of her. "Can you...? I would, but I'm kind of..." He gestured to his already prominent erection.
"I'll be quick," Meredith nodded, kissing him quickly. She hopped off the bed and pulled on her robe, hoping that Charlie just needed a few moments of attention so she could return to Derek. When they decided getting a dog would be a good idea, Meredith never took into consideration the fact that having a new puppy in the house could very well interrupt pending sex.
"Hey Charlie. You okay, hun?" she asked after she walked into the hall. Meredith knelt down next to the dog and kissed the top of his head. "Feel free to wander around the house--just don't tear anything up. Those couches are brand new. And don't eat laundry," Meredith said, thinking back to when Doc wreaked havoc on an entire basket of clothes.
Charlie picked up the hot dog chew toy they bought for him and handed it to Meredith. "You want to play, huh?" she asked, tossing the stuffed toy in the air. "Well, Mommy and Daddy were trying to play too..."
"Mer," Derek called from the bedroom.
"Wait a sec," she called back. "Okay you...play with your toys. I'll be back later, I promise." Meredith rose back to her feet, walking back into their bedroom and closing the door.
"Is he okay," Derek asked.
Meredith dropped her robe on the floor. "He's fine," she assured him. She crawled back onto the bed and straddled him once again.
"Hmm...good," he groaned, cupping her breasts as she rolled her hips. "I bought the glow-in-the-dark ones..."
"You did?" Meredith asked with a giggle. "I've missed those."
"I figured he could get dressed up for your birthday..." Derek grinned, the naughty glint in his eye catching Meredith's.
Meredith gasped. "Derek Shepherd...that was dirty," she scolded, but continued smiling.
Derek reached over to the nightstand and grabbed one off the top of it. "I know," he smirked, handing one of the condoms to her so she could roll it on.
She removed the wrapper and expertly rolled it onto him, giggling as he groaned in appreciation. "I haven't even done anything yet..."
Unwilling and unable to stall any longer, Meredith positioned herself above him, bracing her hands on his chest as she sunk down. "Oh," she gasped. "Derek..."
"Happy birthday," Derek growled, grasping her hips as she moved above him. Just as Meredith started rolling her hips, the dog started scratching on the door again. "Ignore it," he breathed.
Meredith bit her lip and nodded; the feeling of making love to Derek far too great to focus on anything else. "Oh Derek..." she moaned, leaning down to kiss him. "Love you."
"I love you, too." He gently grabbed her thighs and flipped their positions once again so he was on top. When it came to sex, they had it down to a science. Both of them knew what to do to each other and when. Meredith moaned when Derek began picking up the pace, forgetting all about the dog in the hallway. She loved her puppy, but stopping the sex wasn't a possibility right now, not when Meredith could barely form a coherent thought.
"Mer," he panted, kissing her hungrily. He could tell by her whimpers and moans that she was close. Derek took one of her breasts into his mouth, knowing that any stimulation of the sensitive skin would push her over the edge.
Meredith clung to his shoulders and threw her head back in pleasure, letting her orgasm wash over her. He, too, let himself go, feeling himself release inside of her. After a few moments when both came down from their highs, Meredith ran her fingers down his back, tickling a trail down his spine with her fingertips. "Hmm..." she sighed. "Happy birthday to me...."
Derek chuckled softly and kissed her forehead. The moments of peaceful quiet after sex were something they both loved. It was simple and relaxing, and gave them both a chance to come down from their post-sex fog. "I love you so much," Derek whispered as he slowly withdrew.
Meredith giggled as she noticed how the condom glowed a bright green color. "I swear, that stuff better be safe. I'd hate to think I'm going to have residual glowing down there...like peeing bright green or something," she mused.
"I think it's safe, don't worry," Derek chuckled, tossing the condom in the trash.
As he went to lie back down next to her, Meredith stopped him. "Can we let Charlie cuddle?" she asked sweetly.
Derek laughed, kissing her forehead. "Are we done with sex for the night?" he asked. "I believed I promised you a marathon."
Meredith giggled as he pulled on a pair of boxers. "No we're not done. But while I catch my breath and give you a chance to...power up, we can let him in," she explained.
"We can keep his dog bed in here. I don't mind," Derek shrugged. He opened the bedroom door and Charlie immediately ran in. Meredith laughed when he hopped up on their bed and made himself comfortable.
"Charlie," she giggled, scooping the puppy up into her arms before addressing her attention to her husband. "You mean you don't mind if he's in here while we have sex?"
"Well, maybe not during sex. That might be weird..." he agreed, lying back in bed.
Meredith put Charlie in between them and laid down. "Thank you, Derek," she said softly, watching as the dog spun in circles in an attempt to get comfy.
"For what?" he asked.
"Making my birthday nice. I can't even remember the last time I had a good birthday, let alone a great one. And I just...I appreciate it," she shrugged, kissing him.
"You made my birthday nice too--better even. Sorry I couldn't take you to wine country..." he sighed jokingly. "Maybe next year..."
"Stupid jobs always getting in the way," Meredith giggled, scrunching her nose.
"We could quit..." he mused.
Meredith just rolled her eyes and laughed. "Oh sure..."
"We'd go crazy," Derek laughed, reaching over to tickle her arm with his fingertips.
"Yes we would," she giggled in agreement. Meredith looked to the puppy for a minute then to Derek. "Could we get him a doggy door? Maybe one that flaps or whatever so he can go in and out on his own. I don't want him being trapped in the house all day, especially when we have to stay late. It would suck if he had an accident or something. And this way he can run around. It's safe here, and we have the fence in the back," she rambled adorably.
Derek smiled at his wife, his eyes so full of adoration for her. "Sure. We can do that."
"I love him, Derek," Meredith said softly as she rubbed Charlie's fur. "Which is weird because we've only had him for a few hours, but I do...love him."
"Me too," he nodded.
Meredith giggled. "Maybe he'll help me with the nesting thing so I don't jump you for a baby for a while..." she joked, inching herself closer to the two of them.
"He's good practice," Derek pointed out. "If we can take care of him, maybe we'll be okay at taking care of a baby, too."
"He's our baby for now," she agreed, leaning over the dog to kiss him.
The sight of Meredith's still naked body made Derek's breathing quicken and he smiled against her lips. "Meet you in the shower?" he murmured.
"Shower?" she asked curiously, careful not to disrupt the sleeping dog as she rolled on top of Derek.
"I don't think Charlie is planning on moving any time soon," he said. "So if we can sneak off for some shower sex, I think we could get away with it..."
"Bendy thing?" Meredith asked, knowing there was no way he'd say no to that.
Derek grabbed a few condoms off the nightstand and handed them to her. "It wouldn't be a birthday without the bendy thing," he smirked.
"Excellent point," Meredith said enthusiastically, rolling off her husband and making her way into the attached bathroom. When Derek snuck up behind her moments later, she let out a laugh that made Derek smile. Nothing was greater than hearing Meredith's laughter.
As the two flipped on the water and stepped into the large shower to continue with the birthday recreation, both knew that this was true happiness. They had the house, the marriage, the dog...things were as close to perfect as they could be. And that was certainly something worth celebrating.
Reviews make my day. :)
Also, for anyone interested, I wrote a MerDer one shot, "They Bring Me to You." It's post-crossover, and hopefully decent MerDer Valentine's fluff.
Happy Valentine's Day!