A firefighter's promise

4

"Here you go Bailey." Meredith announced coming into her room holding up a dress.

"Thank you." Miranda smiled.

Miranda washed up earlier this morning while Ben went for a run and home to shower and change his clothes.

After Meredith left she took off the hospital gown and pulled the dress over her body. She threw her legs over the bed placing her feet on the floor. Miranda stood up and winced putting her weight on her leg. She wasn't ready for the boot yet so she still had it wrapped. She walked the 5 steps to the sink and held onto it for support.


Miranda looked her self over in the mirror before brushing her hair into a ponytail. She really wanted to wash her hair. After she was finished she brushed her teeth then turned to walk back.

"You look beautiful." Ben complimented.

Miranda jumped then smiled. "Thank you. You don't look bad yourself." She said eyeing him in his sweat pants and blue shirt. She let her eyes travel down below and quickly back up. He definitely had a right to be cocky. She thought blushing.

"Have you been discharged?" Ben asked.

"Yes, I discharged myself earlier." Miranda stated.

"Mirandaaaa." Ben groaned drawing out the syllables in her name.

"Benjamin." Miranda said back in the same manner.

"Did you at least listen to the instructions?" Ben questioned.

"I did and you know what else?... I'm a physician." She responded clicking her teeth.

"Come on let's go." Ben laughed grabbing her things.

"Can we go to the grocery store? I haven't been home in a month. I'm sure I need to throw all that stuff out."

"Okay is there anything else that you need to do today? I’m off." Ben said smiling.

"No that's it."

Ben walked out and came back with a wheel chair.

"No sir." Miranda said sternly.

"Miranda you need the wheelchair."

"Why can't I have crutches."

"Because you have and upper abdominal injury and can't hold yourself up like that. You're a physician right." Ben countered.

"Don't be a smart ass." Miranda chimed.

"Ben I don't want to get in that." She pouted."

Okay let me go get the knee scooter." Ben said attempting to leave.

"Oh no. Wheelchair is fine." Miranda said she didn't want that stupid scooter or wheel chair. "unless you want to carry me out of here." She added.

"I would be more than happy to have you in my arms." Ben smiled.

"Hell I would like that too." Miranda muttered under her breath so he couldn't hear her.

"It can be arranged." He answered honestly and Miranda blushed.

"Let's go."

Ben got her to the car and helped her inside. He put all of her laptops and things in the back before she gave him directions to the store closest to her house.

"Benjamin I'm not using that motorized shopping cart. I will just stay in the car." Miranda huffed crossing her arms.

"Miranda this is what this cart is for, people like you." Ben stated.

"People like me?" Miranda questioned.

"Disabled or temporarily disabled." He answered.

"Do you want to be permanently disabled?” Miranda asked sternly and Ben held his face trying not to laugh.

"Miranda come on." Ben said sternly.

Miranda clinched her thighs together and licked her lips involuntarily.

"Fine." Miranda said rolling her eyes.

"Thank you." Ben responded picking her up and sitting her in the cart. "Make sure you drive the speed limit."

"Shut up, before I run you over." Miranda laughed.

Miranda and Ben got a lot of groceries while they talked and laughed together. She was getting slightly annoyed at all the women staring at him. It was ridiculous they clearly saw that he was with her, but they ogled anyway.

"How do you live like this?" Miranda finally announced.

"Like what?"

"With all these women staring at you." She answered honestly.

"What women?" Ben asked seriously looking around.

"You can't tell me you didn't notice." Miranda asked shocked.

"I really didn't." Ben said sheepishly and Miranda popped her lips.

"I have my attention on one woman and that woman is you."

Miranda gave him a soft smiled. Then she bit her lip looking away.  He made her feel good on the inside.

After paying for her things, he drove her home. Ben took in her house it was nice and she had a nice size yard.

"You need your grass cut asap." Ben told her laughing.

"It needed to be cut bad before the accident so now its really grown." Miranda chuckled.

"Yeah it's a forest."

"You're so dramatic. It's not that bad."

"It is. I will cut it today. Do you have a lawnmower?"

"Yes,  but it's broken." She said frowning.

"I will take a look at it later." He stated picking her up out of the car and carrying her to the door. Miranda unlocked her door and he stepped inside.

"Sorry for the mess." Miranda told him looking around.

"It's not messy, it's very clean."

"That's to you." She chuckled as he sat her down on the couch. Ben went to the car and grabbed her grocery bags. He sat them at the door and went to bring the rest in.

"Thank you for the help today. I can handle it from here." Miranda smiled.

"No you can not Miranda. " Ben said confused sitting the last bag down.

"Yes I can. I'm not a child and I don't need to be baby sat." Miranda huffed.

Ben rolled his eyes. She just wanted to be difficult. There was no way in hell she could make it from the couch to the kitchen or anywhere else she needed to go. Since she wanted to be difficult he would let her.

"Okay, Miranda if you are sure. I’m going to leave you to handle it from here."

"I got it." She said confidently. " Enjoy your day off." She smiled softly.
Miranda was honestly overwhelmed with everything.  She didn't want to get use to him being here and helping her. She was single for years now and was use to being independent.

"Alright Miranda call me if you need anything." Ben spoke softly walking over to kiss her forehead.

Miranda blew out a breath when Ben left out. She looked around at everything and sighed. She stood slowly and held onto her couch and table walking to the front door.  She reached down and groaned. She couldn't do it.

Ben sat in her driveway and waited for her to call. It was over 20 minutes and he frowned. Maybe, she could do it by herself.


Miranda sat at the chair by the door and dug into her purse pulling out her phone. She clicked on their text messages and hovered over his name. She pressed it and waited as it rung.

Ben heard his phone ringing and picked it up smiling.

"Hello." He answered.

"Hey, Ben I'm sorry. I need help. I can't do it by myself." She sighed.
"Can you please come back?" She whined.

"Miranda, I never left." He responded.

She waited a few seconds as she heard shuffling on the other end. She looked up when her front door open and he hung up the phone.

"I'm sorry." She said tearfully.

"Hey, Why are you crying?" He asked rushing over.

"I hurt my side bending over."

"May I." Ben countered touching her side. Miranda nodded her head and Ben gently rubbed her side and she winced.

He wanted to actually look at it, but at the same time he didn't want to pull her dress up.

"Let me get you some medicine and move you to the couch."

Ben walked into the kitchen and looked around for her glasses. He grabbed one and got her some water before walking back out to her. He found her pill bottles and got it out.

After Miranda took the medicine he moved her to the couch and she laid back. He took her groceries to the kitchen and cleaned out her refrigerator before putting everything up.

Coming back into the living room Ben found her asleep. He gathered his things and drove to the home depot.  He bought the things to fix her lawnmower and different flowers for her flower beds.

When he came back he began working. He cut all of her grass and made sure he trimmed by the side walk as well.

Ben came back into the house and Miranda was sitting up. She turned to look at him and God he was sexy. He had changed to a white beater and he had sweat all over him.

"Jesus." She mumbled.

"You okay?"

"Yes, but I have to use the bathroom."
He carried her to the bathroom and waited until she was done.

"You finished cutting the grass?" She asked sweetly.

"Yes, I'm getting ready to fix your flower beds now."

"Aww Ben you didn't have to do that."

"I'll do anything for you."

"Well at least let me help you. I can put flowers in the pot and stuff." Ben nodded his head and brought her outside with him.


Miranda sat on her porch swing and put new flowers in the flower pots adding soil around it. She watched as he cleaned out her flower bed.
After a while they both were finished looking at they product of his work.

"Shit." Ben hissed.

"What?" Miranda asked concerned.

"Oh nothing. I just got a splinter." Ben told her trying to get it out.

"Hey don't do that. You are going to push it further in there. Come let's go into the kitchen. I have a kit with tweezers under the sink." She instructed.

Ben sat her on the counter and he stepped between her legs. After he washed his hands he grabbed the kit from under the sink. She took out the rubbing alcohol and cleaned around the splinter.

He watched as she shuffled around her kit looking for something.

"What are you looking for?"

"I’m looking for my tweezers. Tuck must have used them and not put them back." She sighed.

Miranda looked from his eyes back to his fingers before she slid his pointer finger pass her lips.

Ben eyes widened as he looked down at her mouth enclosed around his finger. Miranda sucked his finger back and forth squeezing her cheeks around it as her teeth glided across it. When he felt her tongue swirl around his finger he instantly grew uncomfortably tight in his pants. He looked at her face and lips, it was a beautiful sight. Ben bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself from groaning.

Miranda released his finger with a wet pop slowly and stuck her tongue out with the splinter on it. He was in a daze that was the sexiest thing he had ever seen by far.

"What's wrong? Did that hurt when I removed it?" Miranda asked genuinely looking at his face.

Ben cleared his throat. "No I didn't feel the splinter at all."

"Can you tie cherry stems with your tongue." Ben asked out of curiosity.

"I don't know. I have never tried it. Give me some from out the refrigerator." She said eyeing him.

He brought the bag out the refrigerator and washed some off putting them in a bowl.

Miranda grabbed one and ate the cherry spitting the seed into a napkin. She took the stem and put it in her mouth. Ben looked fascinated as she concentrated moving her mouth. A few seconds later she held her tongue out and there was a tied cherry stem.

"Wow." Ben commented smiling.

"What can I say I'm talented." Miranda smiled shrugging her shoulders.

After dinner Ben helped her to her room.

"Do you want to take a shower?" Ben asked.

"I really do." She huffed.

"I'll help you." Ben informed and Miranda eyes widened.

"Uh you are not going to see me naked or wash me." Miranda said sternly before adding. "We just met."

"I wasn't implying that I was. You can use that metal stool that you have. Wrap a towel around you. I carry you to the shower and when your done wrap another towel around you." He explained.

"Oh okay. I would like that then."

Ben got her towels and wash cloths from her shelf in her bathroom. He stepped out and let her undress.

"I’m done." Miranda called out to him. He came back in the room. Ben eyes swept over  her towel clad body. She was blessed.

He carried her to the shower and sat her down on the stool.

"I’m going to be right outside the door on your bed. Just call me when you are done and your second towel is right here on this "

"Okay." Miranda said smiling.

Miranda took her shower and wrapped the towel around her waiting for Ben to come.
He walked in and carried her to her bed.

She got dressed quickly and sat on the bed waiting for Ben once again. Miranda frowned when walked into her room with his things.

"You're not staying?" Miranda questioned pouting.

"I didn't know if you wanted me too." Ben stated.

"I...uh do. You can stay in here with me. You can also use my shower." Miranda answered.

"Okay... I will stay, let me go get some clothes from out of my car." He stated and Miranda raised her eyebrow asking for clarity. Did he already assume he was staying.

"I've been keeping clothes in my car because I have been staying with you at the hospital." Ben stated.

"Right." Miranda said sheepishly.

Ben got his clothes then proceeded to take his shower. After getting dressed he climb into bed beside Miranda and she naturally scooted closer to him.

Their legs tangled together and his head found the familiar spot snuggled into her neck.

"Good night Benjamin Warren." Miranda said softly.

"Good night Miranda Bailey." He said back closing his eyes and finding sleep.