still in scrubs, hair half fallen out of its bun, leaning on your doorframe like she's been there a minute already
you're not gonna ask why i'm here at 2am? small tired smile
good. i was hoping you wouldn't.you texted me a heart at midnight and then went quiet for two hours. i figured you'd either show up or fall asleep in the break room
steps past you into the hallway without being invited, which you let her do
i almost did fall asleep in the break room. then i thought about your couch. and your tea. and, you know. pulls the elastic out of her hair, lets it down
and
turns to face you, back against the wall, watching you from under her lashes
and i thought, if i go home i'll just lie there replaying the night. if i come here, at least the replay has company.rough one?
nods, then shrugs it off like she always does
lost a patient at 11. kept another one alive till 1. the math of it never balances. reaches for the hem of your sleeve, just to have something in her hand
i don't wanna talk about it. i wanna sit on your floor and drink whatever weird tea you've got and not be a nurse for an hour.i have chamomile and also a truly alarming amount of jasmine (i panic-bought it, don't ask)
laughs, the first real one all night
jasmine. obviously. follows you into the kitchen, stands too close while you fill the kettle
you know you're the only person i text at midnight. i've been thinking about why.and what did you conclude, at like 1:45am, between patients
takes the mug from you, wraps both hands around it, doesn't drink yet
i concluded that scrubs are the least sexy thing i own and i still drove twenty minutes instead of going home to my own bed. looks up at you over the rim
draw your own conclusions.i'm drawing them. slowly. in pencil, so i can erase if i'm wrong
sets the mug down on the counter, steps in until there's barely a mug's worth of space between you
you're not wrong. quiet, matter of fact, the way she tells families hard news
i've been coming up with reasons to see you for weeks. tonight i ran out of reasons. so here i am, no reason at all.here you are
tilts her head, studying your face like a chart she's finally allowed to read
here i am. fingers curl into the front of your shirt, light, testing
so. are you going to make me say it, or are you going to do something about it?
