The More I See You

Miranda opened her door and walked inside. Terri practically pounced on her before she could put her stuff down. "Tell me everything, start at the top, Mandy, and for God's sake, don't leave out one morsel of information." She pulled out two Ziploc bags. One was full of red gummi worms.

"That's a lot of gummi worms."

"It's to make up for this morning."

Miranda took the candy. "You still owe me, but I will accept these." She sat on her bed and recounted her lunch date with Benjamin Warren. "…and we kissed and it was a really great kiss." Terri ripped into one of the gummi worms, sighing. "Then, we came back."

"And kissed some more."

Laughing, she told her friend: "Just for good measure." She didn't realize how tired she was until after Terri exchanged the details of her "mind-blowing" night with Brandon. Once her head hit her pillow, she was out. When she finally woke up, there was a note from Terri saying that she would be out for the night. On the back of the paper, it said that Ben had called. "Damn it, Ben," she said softly. Why did he have to be so nice?

Miranda pushed everything out of her head and began working on a paper she had for one of her classes. A lot of people waited until the last second to conjure up something. But she couldn't do that; her stuff needed to be perfect. It was how she kept her grades up. Which is why she missed so many parties and events. And why it took her so long to find out that Tucker had been cheating on her. She had spent so much time in her room and in the library that she hadn't noticed that they were both unhappy.

With a long, deep sigh, Miranda finished her draft and closed her books. She thought about calling Ben back, but she didn't want to seem too eager. Instead, she grabbed her ID and key off her desk, stuffed them into her bra, slipped into her jacket and went for a walk. She kind of wished that Terri wasn't busy, she wanted to analyze every inch of her date. Both the man and the activity. Like… why had he chosen to do lunch? What did he see in her? And when was the last time she'd had such a genuinely good time with a guy? A guy that made her nervous, but she couldn't stop talking to him either.

Moving over the campus, with loud thoughts, she decided to go to the cafeteria before heading home. It had been more than a few hours since lunch and even since the gummi worms and she was hungry. Miranda took her food and sat in a corner booth. Engrossed in a random school newspaper, she didn't see a big group come in. A familiar tapping sound made her look up. Tucker and his frat brothers were moseying around the cafeteria. Glancing up again, she saw Terri wrapped around Brandon's waist.

Miranda smiled wistfully. She remembered being a part of the "in-crowd". Not that she ever really wanted to be, but after being a virtual recluse in high school, it honestly felt good to have people like her, even if they were pretending most of the time. Miranda put her head down and continued reading hoping they wouldn't see her. "Mandy girl!" Tucker said. She waited for her heart to skip watching the six-footer stroll toward her. It always happened. But nothing.

Miranda cocked her head to the side as he sat down. "Hey, Tucker," she responded. He picked up a piece of her chicken. "Put that down!"

"My bad."

"You always do that." They smiled. "So, Brandon and Terri, huh?"

"It's official," Tucker said looking at their friends.

"Because they hooked up?" She asked.

"No, because he really likes her and hasn't looked at another girl all damn year," Tucker laughed. "He's lucky."

Miranda pushed her plate toward him. "Don't get all sentimental on me now, Tucker Jones."

"I'm not." He laughed and picked up the chicken. "I heard you had a date today?"

"Terri." He shook his head. "Who?"

"Deidre."

"Sheesh! I guess a girl can't have a private social life nowadays."

He laughed loudly. "That's an oxymoron." Miranda ate some of her mashed potatoes. "How was it?"

"It was nice," she smiled. "We had a good time. Wait, is this weird for you?"

Tucker nodded, "But I asked." He cleared his throat. "Does he make you happy?"

"I like him," she said biting her bottom lip.

He looked at her. "He'd better make you happy." She picked up her drink. "I'd better see a damn smile on your face at all times."

"I wasn't smiling all of the time with you."

"Well, it should be different with… Ben."

"You said his name," she said.

"That's because he's right there looking at us."

Miranda followed his sightline. "Oh, God. I just told him he didn't have worry about you."

"We're just eating, Mandy," Tucker told her. "I'll tell him we're just eating. Don't worry."

She glared at him, wanting to push him through the wall. "No, don't say anything at all."

Ben came over to their table. "Hey," he said. She held her breath, expecting confrontation. One or both of them would say something to set the other off. Instead, Ben just sat down next to her and kissed her cheek. "What's going on?" Goddamn, what a power move—it had her body going insane.

"Nothing," she said reaching for his hand.

Miranda could feel Tucker's eyes on her, but she was looking at Ben. "Yo, Frat! We out!" Someone called to Tucker.

He nodded and stood up. "Bye, y'all," he said with a wave.

Miranda finally let go of the breath that she'd been holding. "How was your dinner?" Ben asked cutting into her thoughts.

"It was decent," she responded. "Did you eat?"

He nodded. "I could always go for some dessert."

"You love sweets, don't you?" Ben winked at her. "Don't be a nasty man."

"I didn't say anything."

She laughed and pushed his chest. "You didn't have to."

"You done here?" He asked. Miranda said that she was. Ben picked up her tray and went to throw it away. She walked toward the entrance and he met up with her. They talked as they walk, almost like they hadn't spent a good chunk of the day together already including the previous night. She wondered if they would ever run out of things to say.

"Um, so, did seeing me and Tucker bother you?"

"It did until I realized that you two had met up randomly." She nodded. "But I wasn't mad or anything. Maybe a little jealous."

She stopped moving and looked up at him. "It is over between us."

"Look, I trust you. It's him I don't trust."

"Okay."

"Look, Miranda… you're so beautiful and so smart and funny." Miranda couldn't help but to blush at his compliments. "I know he sees you smiling and content and happy and he's realizing that he could be the one doing it, but he messed up. I know it must be torture for him." Ben smiled. "So, I pity him, really. But I also… don't." Before she knew it, they were in front of her room.

"You're a good guy, Ben Warren."

"And you are amazing, Mir—"

"I like you," Miranda said suddenly. "Oh, God. I didn't mean to say it like that." He raised his eyebrows. "I meant to say that I like you. Damn it, I said it again. Be quiet, Miranda."

Ben's expression was full of amusement. "Ben, tell her that you already know."

"You know what? Bye." Miranda turned on her heels. "Goodnight, Benjamin Warren." She opened the door and walked in, feigning annoyance.

He grabbed her hips from behind. "You know you want to laugh," he said putting his arms around her stomach, pushing them close together.

"I don't find you funny."

"You do."

"I don't," Miranda argued, melting every second that were in that position. He planted a kiss behind her ear, shocking her. It was simple, but intimate. She turned around in his arms, staring up at him. "I don't find you funny at all."

They kissed slowly. Miranda's body was pounding. They moved toward the bed and were just about to sit down when the phone rang. She rushed to pick it up, grateful for the interruption. "Y-hello?"

"Is Terri there?" Someone said.

"No. She's not."

"Okay. Tell her Ivette is calling."

"Ivette who? And you might want to ask nicely," Miranda said irritated.

"Uh-huh. Rodriguez. Tell her I called."

Miranda picked up a pen and wrote down the name. "Anything else? Do you want her to call you back?"

"Nope." The call ended and she just stared at the phone.

Ben watched her face. "Who was that?"

"Ivette Rodriguez," she responded with a shrug. "For Terri."

"Where is Terri?" Ben asked.

Miranda squinted. "Like you care."

"I do. I like Terri." Nodding, she sat on her bed, remembering when she'd thought that Ben actually did like Terri. She smiled. "So, where were we?"

"You were about to kiss me again."

"I was?" He sat next to her and leaned in, kissing her chin. She was so comfortable around him. They faced each other more.

"Yes, you were."

"And you were just gonna let me?" Miranda sucked in a smile. Why did he make her feel like this? How did he make her feel like this? "Miranda Bailey, are you blushing?"

She shoved him and he grabbed her wrist gently. He kissed it and she shuddered, staring into his eyes. They were so brown and inviting. Miranda rushed in for a kiss, knocking them backwards. Their kisses just kept getting better and better—if that were possible.

When someone knocked on the door, Miranda whined silently. Ben played with her braids and held onto her so she couldn't get up. "Who is it?"

"Terri Ann. And I'm only knocking so I don't interrupt any f…riending."

He kissed her cheek and they sat up. "Come in, girl," Miranda told her rolling her eyes. "And get your mind out of the gutter." The three of them laughed as Terri came in.

Terri just went to her bed and flopped down on it. Ben loosened his grip and whispered in her ear, "I think I'm gonna head out."

"Okay, I'll… go with… walk with you." Ben and Terri exchanged pleasantries and Miranda grabbed his hand. "Oh, Terri, somebody called for you. An Ivette…"

"Rodriguez," Ben said.

"Right. Her." Terri's eyes shot open as Miranda pulled Ben into the hall and leaned against the wall. "It was a nice surprise seeing you tonight," she said.

"Yes, it was," he told her.

"I'll see you later?" She asked it in the form of a question because her nerves were shot.

"Definitely in Webber's class." Miranda smiled up at him. "And don't take it easy on me."

"I wouldn't know how to."