You're Like Coming Home

6.

"Here we go," Derek said as he walked back into Meredith's room, a hot pizza in his hands. "Straight from the oven."

"Mmmm, yummy," Meredith giggled, reaching forward to take the pizza from his hands. "Thanks," she said.

"You're welcome," Derek said, settling into his place at the foot of her bed. They ate in silence for a few minutes before Meredith set her plate to the side and asked, "Derek, why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?" he asked, looking up from the textbook spread open in his lap.

"This," Meredith sighed. "For the past week you've been bringing me food and making sure I get to my classes and sitting with me. It's amazing, it really is. But...you're just starting college. You should be out having fun and meeting girls instead of taking care of your crippled neighbor."

"Meredith," Derek said softly, closing his book and setting it on the floor in front of him. "I'm here because I want to be. I told you I wanted to get to know you, and that's what I've been doing. And I love it."

Meredith didn't say anything for a long moment as she played with the crust of her pizza, tearing it into pieces. "Derek, listen," she said. "You're really great. Really really great. And I appreciate everything that you've done for me. But I can't...I can't be your girlfriend. I know that's what you want because even when you're taking care of me you're being all dreamy and perfect, and I just can't do that."

Derek frowned. "Okay, that's not true," he said. "I'll admit when I first met you...that was what I wanted. But now, I just want to know you. I want to be your friend, Mer. If you're not comfortable with anything else, that's fine."

Meredith bit her lower lip, considering his words. "Are you sure?" she asked. "Because I know that most guys are like Mark, who's sleeping with Addison, and that's what most guys want to be doing in college and I just can't let you have that with me. I'm sorry, I really am, but I can't."

"Meredith," Derek said softly, scooting closer to her on the bed. "Will you open that thick skull of yours and listen to me? I'm not Mark. I don't want to sleep around. I'm here for school, to become a doctor. And I just happened to meet an amazing girl who lives across the hall. And right now, all I want is to know you. As a friend. Nothing more."

"Okay," Meredith said softly.

"Okay?" Derek asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Okay," she nodded more firmly. "I just don't want to keep you from doing what you want to be doing."

Derek smiled as he settled back against the wall, reaching for another piece of pizza. "I'm doing it, Mer," he replied.

"Good," she nodded, opening a book and flipping through it.

"Besides, I can't even go into my own room," Derek laughed. "Addison's pretty much taken permanent residence there."

Meredith giggled. "Yeah, she hasn't slept here in a couple nights," she said. "Sorry you've been replaced in Mark's life."

Derek frowned. "I haven't been replaced in his life," he said. "I may be homeless now, but that's okay. I have you."

"Yeah," Meredith said softly. "You have me."

Derek smiled at her as he turned his attention back to his textbook. For the past week, they had fallen into a familiar, comfortable pattern. At some point, Mark and Addison had become completely inseparable, leaving Derek and Meredith to spend the majority of their time in the girls' room, studying, talking, and watching movies. Although Meredith's broken ankle prevented them from doing too much, Derek had realized that he'd never enjoyed any one person's company more than he had enjoyed her. He was trying to ignore the feeling of how much she completed him, because for whatever reason she wasn't letting him into that part of her life. He had to be patient, he knew, because there was something there. Eventually, maybe she would realize how amazing they could be together and everything would work out for them.