The two weeks she'd spent in New York had finally come to an end, and that she was grateful for. When her mother had insisted Meredith spent her last two weeks of freedom before her internship started with her, she severely underestimated how much it would drain her. The idea was to have a relaxing two-week break in New York, but it had turned into a lot of hanging around at the hospital waiting for Ellis to finish in surgery which only benefited her as it allowed her to spend more time in the viewing galleries. Then there was the intern mixer that she had been dragged along to by Ellis, almost as if to say this could be you, Meredith. It was a long-lasting debate between the pair, and Ellis was still too proud to admit defeat. She wanted Meredith where she could keep an eye on her, under the roof of her own hospital, probably to steer her into General Surgery, inherit her mother's legacy. Meredith had been adamant to not work in the same hospital as her. She didn't need the benefits that would surely come with it, or the special treatment. She didn't want to specialise in General Surgery – her passion was in neurosurgery.

Now she was sat in the hotel bar, having escaped from the function room next door after spending a respectable amount of time and excusing herself with talk of an early flight, and saying goodbye to her mother of course. She was probably a little too overdressed to be sat at the bar on her own, but she didn't care much for others' opinions. The dress actually made her feel good about her almost stick-thin figure. She downed another tequila shot, turning the glass upside down in front of her. She probably shouldn't be drinking so much before flying out in the morning, but it's nothing she hadn't done before. She had a fairly high tolerance for tequila by now.

She glanced to her side as the stool beside her became occupied, which only drew her attention as all the other stools were still empty. Why choose to sit beside the only occupied stool? She gave a small smile to the bartender who passed her another tequila shot and looked down at the small glass in front of her, her fingertip tracing the outline of the top of the glass.

She heard the voice of the male sat beside her speak to the bartender to order his own drink, but didn't pay attention to what was actually said as her fingers wrapped around the shot glass, downing the golden, harsh liquid in one swift movement. She felt eyes on her but ignored them, at which point the voice spoke again, directly to her this time, "You're going to be sorry in the morning."

She gave a small laugh, not lifting her gaze from the bar in front of her, as much as her mind was pulling her to just turn her head to see who the voice belonged to, she muttered softly with a small shrug, "I'm always sorry in the morning."

When it feels like this, like a light came on,
And you look at me, like I'm all you want.

When she continued to feel his eyes on her, she couldn't resist the temptation of her curiosity, and looked to her side at the young looking male, probably around the same age as her. Her eyes glossed over the suit he was wearing. Expensive suit. Her gaze fixed on a name badge. Derek Shepherd, Surgical Intern. A short laugh escaped her lips as she realised, he must have been at the intern mixer, although she definitely would've remembered seeing him there. She then looked up at his questioning eyes, ready to explain her small outburst, but was almost frozen to the core by the eyes that looked back at her. The deep blue, curious eyes that had her in an almost trance. If she wasn't mistaken, he seemed to have the same problem as her. She shook her head a little as though to shake the image from her mind as the bartender placed another shot in front of her, an unspoken agreement between them.

She cleared her throat a little, her lips pressed together, momentarily forgetting the tequila that beckoned her as she looked back to the stranger, "Let me guess, you're starting your internship at New York Pres next week?"

He nodded, his eyes still showing his curiosity in her as he furrowed his brow slightly, "And you?"

She shook her head slightly, a small smirk on her lips as she realised, he definitely didn't know who she was. It was almost refreshing. She turned to face forward again in the stool as she swallowed the tequila, enjoying the familiar burn in her throat as it went down, a soft hum sounding from her lips before she gave him a little more detail to her answer, "Just a… guest, you could say."

"Sounds a bit ominous," he said with raised eyebrows and a raspy chuckle escaped his lips as he sipped at his drink. She heard the sound of his glass being placed back on the wooden bar before he spoke again, "So, what's your story?"

She shrugged, definitely not about to give him any deep insight into her life to the stranger who would be soon working at her mother's hospital, no doubt. Her fingers fidgeted with the small, empty shot glass in front of her as she spoke with a small smile playing on her lips, "I'm just a girl in a bar."

He released a short chuckle, and she could feel his eyes on her still. Normally, this kind of attention would unnerve her, but she found his gaze oddly comforting, as though it were a compliment. "Well then, I guess I'm just a guy in a bar," he responded, copying her statement.

She couldn't help but laughed softly as she shook her head a little, "You're a little insistent, aren't you, happy go lucky?"

He laughed a little louder at her comment and picked his glass up again as she looked to him, "I guess I'm just hiding my pain," he sounded like he was joking, but she could sense a truth in his words. She didn't think to press for more details, it wasn't like she was about to give any to him. He soon changed the subject, anyhow, obviously wanting to keep the conversation flowing between them, "Are you from round here, then?"

Before she could answer him, the bartender approached, ready to pour her another shot but she simply raised her hand to stop him with a slight shake of her head, "I'm good for now." The last thing she needed was to let her inhibitions run wild with the effects of the alcohol. She turned to look at the kind stranger again, who still had his eyes on her, as though she were the only other person in the room. "Not exactly, I've been away at college, and then med school, and my mother moved here a few years ago for work," she watched the intrigue only grow in his expression at the limited information she was revealing.

"Med school? So, you're a doctor, and you're at a surgical internship mixer for the best hospital in New York, but you're not doing your internship there?" He listed some of the things he had learned about her so far, as though he was trying to work out some sort of riddle, or puzzle.

She laughed softly, her fingers fidgeting with the silver bracelet that was fastened around her wrist, a nervous habit. She felt a rush of electricity shoot through the nerves in her hand as his hand reached forward to take hers, effectively stopping the fidgeting of her fingers. Her eyes looked up into his and she unconsciously bit her lower lip as their eyes locked on each other's. Blue merging with green.

I'm speechless and blown away,
The little things, I'm shivering,
The way you hold my hand.

She froze momentarily as he leaned forward to her, not out of fear, not out of nervousness. She wasn't actually sure why she froze, but when his lips touched hers it was like she had come back to life. She pressed her lips back into his as he stood, wrapping his arms around her waist as she stayed sat in the stool, their kiss deepening. She lifted her hands and ran them though his hair, relishing in the soft tufts between her fingers with a gentle grip.

She pulled back slightly, keeping her hands in his hair, their noses barely touching as she whispered softly, "We should go… elsewhere." A slight panic overtook her at the thought of her mother being in the same hotel while she was kissing a stranger in public. A stranger. She didn't even know his name. Should she even be doing this? Well, it wouldn't be the first time, and she had zero intention of being around to see him again…

She dropped her hands from his hair and stood up with his arms still around her, meaning she was just a little bit closer against him and he pressed another quick kiss to her lips before murmuring softly, "I have a room here. We can go there."

She knew why she had a room here – there was no way she was staying in her mother's house while she was here, and it just made sense to stay here since it's where the event was being held. But why did he need a room here? Even she had a flat waiting for her in Seattle, and she hadn't been back there since she was 5 years old. She had it set up and waiting for her to start her internship. The questions ran through her mind, but she simply nodded as his hand slid into her with a gentle grip, and they made their way out of the bar and over to the elevator.

"You are… beautiful," he whispered close to her ear as his arms wrapped around her from behind and she leaned back against him, aware of the pain in her feet from being stood in heels all night. She allowed a smile to spread across her lips at his words, at the feel of the goose-bumps spreading across her skin at his warm breath.

I'm all butterflies, I'm sky-high, for you.

Her head tilted to one side as his lips started to leave soft kisses along her neck, and she reached to pull the clip out of her hair that was previously holding it up, letting it fall in cascades over her shoulders. She felt his fingers running through her hair and closed her eyes, feeling an odd sensation of safety in his hold.

Eventually, the elevator reached his floor and a soft laugh escaped her lips as they walked out, his arm around her waist still as he led her to his room. He spoke in a low voice, amused at her laughter, "What's so funny?"

His arm dropped from around her as he pulled his wallet out to claim his door key, unlocking the door and holding it open for her to walk inside the room first as she let him in on the joke, "My room is just down the hall."

"Maybe it's fate," he joked, mirroring her grin and keeping his eyes on her as she moved over to sit on the bed in the middle of the room. Her eyes fixed on him as he moved over to the room phone and picked it up, ordering champagne to the room.

"Trying to get me drunk, huh?" She asked as he put the phone down, her eyes focused on his hands as he pulled to loosen the tie around his neck and undid the top button. She found herself biting her lower lip again and kicked her shoes off, leaning back a little on the bed with her arms stretched out behind her, using her hands for support so that she wasn't lay all the way back on the bed.

He laughed softly, taking his suit jacket off and laying it over the chair before sitting down beside her, taking off his own shoes. His arm moved across her lap, resting his hand on her hip as he pressed a soft kiss to her shoulder with a soft murmur, "Maybe if I do, you'll tell me your name."

"Don't you prefer the mystery?" She murmured back, running her fingers through his hair.

"I do enjoy the mystery, I do want to know you though, I feel this pull towards you.." his voice trailed off in a whisper as she felt his lips kissing along her shoulder, her collarbone and up her neck.

Uncover secrets, treasure hunting days away.

Her fingertips pulled out of his hair and drifted over the stubble on his cheek, an eyebrow raised at him. She was still was wondering why he wasn't cleanly shaven. Her mother definitely wouldn't approve of that. You either have facial hair, or you don't. And if you don't, you shave before such an important event. One of her mother's many rants that Meredith barely even listened to. To change the subject off herself, she asked the question on her mind, "You didn't shave. This was an important event, why didn't you shave?"

"That's a strange question…" his eyes met hers as he looked at her curiously, confused by the question, "and the answer may actually dampen the mood just a little."

Her eyebrows furrowed as she realised, she may have hit a nerve somehow, "I'm sorry, if I… it's just something my mother used to say," she said with a shrug.

He shook his head and pressed another kiss to her shoulder before laying back on the bed, and she watched as his eyes fixed on the ceiling. She lay back beside him, keeping her eyes on him as he spoke, "Two nights ago, I had this feeling. I was coming back from my Mom's. She lives about half an hour from here, I left early that night. I got home, and I had this feeling, and when I stepped inside my house, inside my bedroom, I found my now ex-fiancée in the throes with some guy. I didn't stick around to see who it even was. I left. I drove around a bit. I still had my suitcase in my car from being at my Mom's. I haven't even spoken to her yet," she gave him a warm, sympathetic smile as his head turned to face her, "But yeah, I drank. A lot. And then slept for far too long and didn't have time to shave."

Her hand reached forward, and her fingertips drifted over the stubble once more. He covered the back of her hand with his and brought her hand to his lips, planting a soft kiss on her palm. The sensation brought another small smile to her lips and he moved a little closer to her. He dropped her hand and snaked his arm around her waist to pull her closer against him.

"Enough about that. Besides, if that hadn't happened, I wouldn't have met you in the bar just now, and I wouldn't be able to lose myself in your gorgeous eyes, be able touch and kiss your soft skin," for some form of effect he lowered his head a moment to press a soft kiss to her shoulder, before nudging the tip of his nose against her hair, inhaling, "and smell the lavender in your hair… My beautiful, gorgeous mystery girl," her breath caught a little in her throat at his words. Sure, she'd had compliments before. She'd had one-night stands before. She even dated a couple times, until she found the act pointless anyhow. No-one had ever spoken to her like that. She felt… she didn't know. She didn't know this feeling. The warmth that spread through her whole body.

She managed to catch herself a moment, to pull herself back to reality to respond to his words, a playful tone in her voice, "You're a bit of a romantic, aren't you?"

Before he could answer, a knock on the door startled both of them apart and he got back up off the bed, heading over to the door. She sat up and couldn't bring herself to keep her off him. She watched the way he walked over; her eyes fixated on his ass. She found herself biting her lip again, imagining him without the clothes on. Next thing she knew, he was looking back at her with a questioning look on in his eyes as he held the champagne with two glasses, "Everything okay there?"

Pretending like she wasn't just ogling him like piece of man candy, she rolled her eyes and stood up from where she was sat as she spoke, "Are we drinking the champagne or what?"

He set the glasses down on the small table in the room, and she couldn't stop her ogling of his every movement as he opened the champagne bottle, her tongue running along her lower lip at the thoughts playing in her mind. The loud pop of the bottle being opened brought her back to reality. She stood up off the bed to approach him as he poured them both a glass and she stood close beside him, suddenly feeling weighed down by the dress she was wearing. She picked up a glass and took a sip, neither of them saying a word just yet.

Stumbling on diamonds, I'm speechless and blown away.

She set the glass down again after a moment, a small amount of liquid still in the bottom as she reached behind her to loosen the tie at the small of her back and then turned so her back was facing him, talking in a small voice, "Help me with the zip?"

She bit her lip gently as she anticipated his response. After a small pause, she felt his fingers brush her hair to one side, his hot breath against he back of her neck as he slowly unzipped the back of her dress. Once the dress was fully unzipped, she felt his fingers reaching around her waist and his soft lips pressing soft kisses down her neck, and she melted back into his touch. His hands reached up her front to brush along the underside of her breasts, causing her breath to catch in her throat and she bit her lip harder, close to drawing blood, and she felt the pressure of his chest pressed against her bare back. His hands moved to her shoulders, slowly pushing the dress down her shoulders, and without the support of the straps on her shoulders, the whole dress dropped to a pool at her feet, leaving her almost naked in front of him.

Reluctantly, she stepped forward away from him, feeling a shiver at the loss of his touch as she picked up her glass again, swallowing the harsh bubbles as she turned to look at him, noticing the desire in his eyes as they swept over her body and then locked on her eyes. She kept the rim of the now empty champagne glass close to her lips as she spoke, "You have too many clothes on."

She watched as her words broke him out of his trance-like state, his eyes flickering to her lips a second as he half-smirked, his fingers moving to unbutton his crisp, white shirt. She kept her eyes locked on his movements, knowing his eyes were on her to watch her reaction as he revealed his toned, slightly tanned torso as he took off the shirt. Her eyes caught his waist, where his dress pants were hanging particularly low and she felt herself biting her lower lip again as he moved closer to her, taking the glass out of her hand and placing it back on the table. They stood face-to face, barely touching until his reached his thumb to tug at her lower lip, releasing it from her teeth as he spoke in a low, husky voice, "I don't think you realise, you biting your lip is making it very hard for me to think, among other things…"

She looked up at him through her lashes, her lips slightly parted, his touch sending tiny shockwaves through her. With her eyes still locked on his, her fingers reached forward to unclip his dress pants, her fingertips tracing the line where the fabric met his skin before giving them a gentle push off his hips so that they fell at his feet. The single motion must have pushed him over the edge because the next thing she knew, his lips crashed down against hers, and she responded instantly, her built-up need for his lips on hers taking over. Her mind was lost as she returned his passion, her tongue begging for entrance into his mouth by running along his teeth. Without breaking the kiss, he lifted her up with his hands secure at her thighs and brought her legs around him as he fell on the bed with her.

When it feels like this, like a light came on,
When you look at me, say I'm all you want.
I got everything at my fingertips,
How can I resist when it feels like this?

She woke with a sudden start, the early morning sunlight streaming through the gap in the window dimly lighting the room and shining right into her eyes. She groaned and rolled over, just now realising she wasn't in her own room. She sat up suddenly and looked to her side, wincing at the sight of the naked man beside her and then wincing again with the pain that shot through her head.

She looked around the room and her eyes landed on the clock that sat on the table beside the bed. Her flight was due to leave in almost five hours and she hadn't even packed yet. She looked around again, locating her dress from the previous evening at the end of the bed, hanging over the end of the mattress. She groaned softly again as she reached forward to grab it, putting it back on as she got out of the bed.

She heard his groan from the bed as he rolled over, moving over the area she had just vacated. She watched a moment, ensuring he was still asleep before she moved to grab her bag and shoes. A small pad on the desk caught her eyes and she momentarily put her things down as she wrote him a quick note. With one last glance, she picked her things up and left the room, as quiet as she could. At least she'd had some fun in New York.

Feels Like This – Maisie Peters.

AN: I know, I'm starting another story, but I couldn't get this one out of my head. Hope you like it. Updates will eventually happen again for TMA and BTS, but I've just started working again so it may be another week or so. Hopefully I can get something out this weekend!