I Wanna Be Yours

"Chapter 8"

Someone is knocking.

Meredith blinks blearily, as she hears the door open. Door. Hospital smell. Faded couch. Yep, definitely Seattle Grace Hospital.

"Did you fall asleep in your office again?" A familiar voice reaches her ears, and she lifts her head, a smile stretching automatically.

"I work a lot, Mags," she jabs back, straightening up her back as her little sister walks inside and closes the door, then plops herself in one of her armchairs.

"Yeah, right, super neurosurgeon, the apple of Mom's eye..." she teases, a playful glint in her chocolate eyes.

"Maggie, we both know you're the apple of Mom's eye. And Dad's," Meredith rolls her eyes. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in class? Dartmouth?"

"You should get a dog, he will give you a reason to get home. No, wait, you'd kill a dog and he will pee everywhere, since you're never home. A cat. I'm finding you a cat for Christmas."

"Maggie! Cats are not presents, and Christmas is months away!" Meredith groans. "And you still haven't answered my question."

Maggie huffs, in the same way she did when she was five, and Meredith tries her best to hide her smile. "The dean gave a week to all the best students explore all their possible choices for internships so that those behind can catch up on schoolwork. I'm exploring."

"Oh, I have to train you too, now?" Meredith groans, though her smile widens. "I'm happy for you, Margaret."

"Stop calling me that!" she grins, and all of a sudden, she doesn't look all that young anymore.

Her baby sister looks like a woman. Well, she is a woman, but she has always been young in Meredith's eyes. Now, they're almost on the same playing field, and there's something different in her gaze. She is older, she has wisened up, and it shows in her demeanor. She might still be the same bookish, nerdy, funny sister she grew up with, but she looks different.

Her hair is still curly and soft, her eyes still wide and kind like Richard's, even though he always says they both have their mother's smile. Meredith has seen her mother smile so rarely she's not sure she can agree with him. Either way, Maggie has matured, and Meredith feels like she has missed it.

"How's the boyfriend?" Meredith quips, then, wanting to tease her sister a bit more, to uncover her childish side again.

Of course the child prodigy is not only kicking ass in medical school and doesn't have a flavor for tequila like she did during her own years in college, she's also in a pretty stable relationship, a meet-the-parents kind of relationship.

"He's fine. Dean's fine." Her eyes are sad when she says that, and she can't look at her in the eyes.

"Right," Meredith snorts, and Maggie takes a deep breath. "Mags –"

"He cuddles," she blurts, her eyes widening. "He's a cuddler and I hate when he wraps his arms around me after sex." Meredith grimaces; she really doesn't want to hear about her baby sister's sex life, even if this issue sounds important.

"But he's your boyfriend. I'm the one that kicks out boys before they can cuddle."

"So you get it, how awkward it is, right?"

Meredith frowns. "Look, you know I suck at this, but aren't you supposed to, you know, enjoy it? I mean, you love the guy, you care about him. You've been with Dean for what, two years? I can't believe you never shared a bed."

"I flee," she hums. "I let him fall asleep then I go to sleep on the couch and set an alarm."

"Oh," she can't help but blurt, unable to school her expression.