Ours

small

their first meeting!!

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Mandy was minding her own business.

She always kept her head down, even as a second-year med student, making herself smaller than she would like along the halls so the other students won't make her feel that way.

But they always did; make her feel smaller, that is.

People pointed at her, whispered her name, and a couple other nicknames she didn't appreciate.

Sure, Mandy wanted to put her chin up, stare them down and watch them scurry away like scared little mice, like she'd seen people do in the movies, but she just can't bring herself to do it. She can't fight them due to fear she'll lose.

And dammit, she hates losing.

So, she goes to school, rounds to the library to hide, and only goes out to head to class. She was going to be a surgeon, and she needed to focus on that.

Today, her agenda was simple: head to the library, pick out some books for a test later on this week, then head to her only class for today.

After a few hours, Mandy noticed that the time was getting late, and she needed to head out if she was going to be a few minutes early to class. She stood up and fixed her bag, before heading to the counter.

A boy was in front of her. She walked slowly behind him, and stopped, respecting that he was there first. Although she was pretty sure she was.

But she waited anyway. Fights only lead to bullying, and she hated being looked down upon.

Mandy caught the last bits of his conversation with the librarian. "Thank you so much. I'll return it tomorrow, I promise."

She rolled her eyes. He must be one of those types who borrowed a book then forgot all about its existence until the library asked for it. Typical.

She wasn't paying attention when he turned, and he bumped into her, making her stumble. Luckily, he caught her before she fell.

Mandy blushed as his arms went around her. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry. I didn't notice you," he hurried out, blushing in shame. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," she mumbled and squirmed in his arms. He let go, coughing slightly. He was taller than her like most people, so she looked up at him.

Her breath hitched. He was handsome. He had beautiful chocolate brown eyes, a nice jaw, and clearly smooth brown skin. He smiled sheepishly at her. "I'm really sorry. You're really quiet, you know."

Mandy fought the urge to roll her eyes. "It's... it's fine. I'm, uh, used to it." She wasn't because she was careful most of the time, but he didn't need to know that.

"I'm Benjamin Warren, by the way." He put his hand out for her to shake. "Call me Ben."

She stared at it for a couple of seconds. He was being nice to her. Even with her small voice, her pink coke-bottle glasses and braids, he was being nice. She reluctantly grasped his hand within hers and shook it. "I'm Miranda Bailey, but most people call me Mandy."

Ben grinned. "Okay, well, I'm not most people, so I'm calling you Miranda."

Mandy, or Miranda, as he wanted to call her, blushed. Oh, he was smooth. "T-that's, uh, that's up to you."

He nodded, and they let go of each other's hands. "This is great, and all, but I have to head up. Wait, before we go, what's your course and what year are you?"

"Oh, I'm a second year med student. And you?" Ben looked surprised at her answer and she almost snorted. "What, didn't expect that?"

He chuckled. "No, it's just, I'm a med student too. I'm in my fourth year. I'm taking the USMLE Step 2 soon."

She brightened at that. She was taking Step 1 at the end of the year. "Oh, t-that's... that's great." He seemed to change beneath her very eyes. He was just a random handsome man before, but it turned out he was more than that. "Uh, well, I have to go." She glanced at the clock.

"Right. Okay, see you around!" He whisper-shouted, and Miranda almost giggled as he walked away.

×+×+×+×

Miranda was in the library again. She had her nose buried in some book about general surgery. She wasn't sure about what specialty she was taking yet, but she loved General. It may just be the one she was looking for.

When she glanced up from her book, she realized it was getting late. She grabbed her bag and her book so she could return it to its shelf.

She went around the shelves, and spotted the row she took the book from. Miranda saw a man with his back turned at the space where she was supposed to put her book back. She quietly approached him.

"Excuse me," she spoke softly, and apparently that was enough to scare the living daylights out of him.

He jumped, and turned around. It was Ben Warren, from a few days ago. "Fuck!"

They heard someone shushing them, and her eyes widened. "Shh!" She glared at him.

"Oh, it's you." Ben sighed, grabbing his chest. "Dammit. Where do you come from? You're everywhere."

Miranda raised an eyebrow. She didn't know why, maybe it was because it was nighttime and she was tired or maybe she was just sick of people belittling her, so she opened her mouth to speak. "Or maybe you just don't pay attention to anything below your chin level."

She didn't bother to see his reaction. She walked behind him and put her book back in its rightful place.

Realizing she needed to face him again to go back out, she glanced at him. Ben was looking at her with a grin. "What are you looking at?"

"Go out with me."

Miranda's mouth dropped open. "I- what?"

"I said, go out with me." He stepped to her. She stepped back. She felt small, but not in an insignificant way. The way he was staring at her made her feel bigger than she'd ever felt. "Miranda."

Her name on his lips made her heart flutter. When was the last time she'd ever felt like this? When she was with Eli back in college, she did feel butterflies, but he never made her melt the way Benjamin did right now.

"W-why?" She asked, a little afraid of the answer.

Ben chuckled. "You're beautiful. And smart, feisty, too. So, please, do a man a favor and let him bask in your brilliance."

His words made her melt even more. She smiled softly. She bit her lip shyly. "I-I don't know..."

"Well, that's not a no, so I'll just wait for a yes." Ben smirked, and stepped forward two times, making her back hit the shelf. She thought he was about to kiss her, and she closed her eyes, meeting nothing.

Miranda opened them back up, and saw that he was reaching for a book behind her. She cringed at herself. Why did she think he was going to kiss her? That was absurd. "Goodnight, Miranda Bailey."

He left her there, speechless, and trying to catch her breath.