Thank you, Chris Shino for giving me such an interesting couple request to work with.
It's so quiet. Of course it is though, since no one ever seems to come here. You'd think people would appreciate fine literature more, but nooo, they'd much rather gossip in the square or just stick to their same boring routines, day after day.
Then again, I'm one to talk. I come here every day but Mondays and it's the same thing the entire day. Sit at the desk. Contemplate life while I stare at the pages of a book I've read only a thousand times already. Attempt to write something of my own but fail miserably because I'm too worried about what would happen if anyone ever read it. Yeah, same thing. Day after day.
However….today's Wednesday. And Wednesdays are the days HE comes in here. He doesn't give me a big showy greeting like Manna would, nor does he shyly wave from a distance like Gray would. There's something rather attractive about a man who looks you right in the eye when he addresses you. Always to the point to, curt as most people would say. I rather like it though.
The door chimes happily and I tense my shoulders as I hear footfalls near my desk. "Good afternoon, Mary," his deep voice seems to resound throughout the room. I look up, and sure enough he's looking directly at me. My breath catches in my throat for a moment before I manage to quietly say hello back.
Now that he's had his greeting, I'm sure he'll go up and begin to browse the medical books as he does every week, but to my surprise he places one hand on the desk and leans awkwardly, as if not sure how to be casual. "So…got any new books?" he asks, and a hand almost flies to my mouth as I realize that he's actually gone and changed up our routine. He's talking to you, Mary. Make the most of it, I tell myself and I straighten up for the first time in ages to look at him. "Not recently," I say, failing to come up with a decent way to continue the conversation.
"Ah. Well, thank you, regardless," he says, leaving my desk and walking up the stairs. I give a sigh and resist the urge to hit myself in the forehead. Way to go. That was really smooth. Sometimes I amaze myself with the amount of depth I appear to have. Either way, today's different. And if the doctor can change up the routine, why can't I?
Nervously, I edge up the stairs and head towards where I know he's bound to be, staring at the same bookshelf as he does every week. For someone of my small size, I sure know how to make an entrance and I thoroughly demonstrate my grace as I bump into a bookshelf. It falls with a loud crash to the ground, nearly burying me in a pile of books. As I'm telling myself this is a sign that coming upstairs was a bad idea, a hand appears in front of me. "Need some help?" he asks, as poised as ever. Hmm, maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all.
After he pulls me to my feet, he lets go, although I want to hold on for much longer. He bends over to slowly begin picking up books, and I join him. Side by side, we carefully pick up the books and set them in piles. Once we raise the fallen shelf, we begin putting the books up, side by side. To my surprise, he makes a stab at conversation. "How has your work maintaining the library been? I suppose it's hard, considering no one comes in to appreciate any of it." I nod, then clear my throat and speak up. "It's not so much hard as it is…boring." I make a face, and to my surprise the normally stoic face breaks into a rather handsome smile before returning to its cold mask. "It's the same over at the Clinic. We cater to exactly two patients….three, if you count Claire." I feel myself frown at the mention of the blonde's name. She's never been unkind to me; in fact, she's one of the few people in this town that I find interesting enough to really talk to. Still, I don't like the way he says her name, like he finds her just as fascinating as the rest of the boys do in this town. Trying to clear the negative thoughts from my mind, I say, "Oh? What's wrong with her?" The doctor shakes his head, but gives me a teasing grin and I feel my face burn as he says, "I'm not allowed to tell that to people, you know. But…" suddenly his hand is on the bookshelf and I'm looking up at him, trapped between the wall and his body. "I might make an exception for you."
Before I can even begin to comprehend what's going on, his other hand slides up by my head and he leans in close. I think he's about to kiss me, and for some reason this excites me. Right before our lips can touch, I hear the happy chime from downstairs, and then I hear Gray call, "Mary?" The doctor straightens up and I begin to walk to the stairs, my heart pounding and my face so red it nearly burns. I want to make sense of it all, but I just can't. Right before I go downstairs, he says my name. "Mary." I turn, and my lips collide into his before he pulls back, giving me a breath taking smile. He walks past me, and as my hand rises involuntarily to my lips he looks back, still smiling. "Come visit me at the clinic soon," he says with a wave, leaving me to sink to my knees and wonder if his invitation means what I think it does.