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“Do you want to hang out this weekend? Could I get your number?”
Mateo whips his head up from where he’s placing an IV in an intubated patient. The scrawny tall guy, who has apparently been on Victoria’s last nerve all day (according to Princess) is staring at her with wide eyes.
“Uh,” Victoria blinks up at him, her mouth slightly agape. “I thought you didn’t like me. I thought we didn’t like each other.”
Mateo doesn’t move his gaze away from them.
The taller guy shrugs. “More like I was intimidated by you. You’re hella smart and clearly gave me a run for my money. It’s exhausting, being around people that aren’t on your level, you know?”
Victoria darts her eyes to Mateo then at her shoes when she sees him already watching.
“Smarts aren’t everything. It shouldn’t be your whole personality.” She blinks and focuses on Mateo’s hands as he sets up the IV.
“Right, yeah, but it’s pretty important. Plus, I dunno, I think we just get each other.” The guy presses.
Victoria eyes him again, and Mateo tries not to laugh at the obvious judging in her gaze. “What? How do you get me?”
“Hello? We’re two geniuses. Constantly being underestimated and fighting for our place here.”
She blinks at him. “That’s the life story of every prodigy child, doesn’t mean we should date.”
Then she’s rounding the bed, her eyes on Mateo. He watches her closely as she stands right next to him.
“Need any help here, Mateo?”
She’s so sweet. Too sweet for him. But he’s learning to be more selfish.
“Nah, baby. I’m good, all I need is for you to stand there and-“ Look pretty, he’d been about to say. But that’s pushing it. So he says instead: “Tell me how your week has been?”
She blinks with wide eyes like she did before when he let the term of endearment slip, then she’s recovering. “Pretty good, for the most part. Today’s been kind of rough.”
He shoots her a small reassuring smile and tugs his gloves off, throwing them in the trash before rubbing and squeezing her arm. “We all have those days,” Then he slides his hand up to frame her neck, his thumb pressing on her chin. “You taking care of yourself?”
She averts her eyes.
“Victoria,” He warns lowly, tilting her chin. “Go drink some water.”
She pouts. “But-“
“Who are you?” The other student buts in. O-something, Mateo can’t remember his name.
He doesn’t drop her chin and she doesn’t make a move to turn to look at the other guy speaking.
“Mateo,” He juts his chin in a nod, because his mama raised him to be polite. “Night shift nurse.”
The guy nods slowly, his eyes freakishly wide. “Ogilive, Med student. I can take her to grab something to drink.”
Mateo shakes his head, his hand snaking around to wrap the back of Victoria’s neck. “Nah she’s good, nice to meet you though, man.” He dismisses him as he turns his attention to Victoria. He squeezes the nape of her neck and gently pushes her towards the door, walking after her.
“Go get something to eat and drink,” Then he leans in, murmuring in her ear. “Without him. Don’t give him your number.”
She turns in his grasp, his hand now framing her throat as she blinks up at him. “I wasn’t planning on it. Jealous much?”
She cocks a hip out and playfully smirks at him and it’s times like these, he thinks, that he misses when she was too flustered around him to think of teasing him. But it’s also good, now that he gets the more true version of her.
He gently squeezes her neck, narrowing his eyes at her and smirking. “Go eat.”
Then she’s gone, rolling her eyes but digging through her scrubs nonetheless for a bar. She pulls out a sad excuse for a snack and it makes his hackles rise.
“Real food!” He says after her retreating form. “Goddamnit, baby.”
She waves him off without turning back.
Mateo shakes his head as he faces the room, seeing Ogilive staring at him.
“You called her baby, twice.” He states, blinking once.
Mateo raises a brow. “Yeah.”
He’s not confirming nor denying anything, especially since he and Victoria haven’t actually talked about what they are yet. They’re friends who flirt and get jealous. It’s totally normal.
“You guys are…?”
Mateo puffs his chest out a bit and pastes an unimpressed look on his face. He really does not like this dude.
“Yeah. So maybe don’t hit on her, yeah?” He’s gruff. Gruffer than normal.
The kid has the decency to look ashamed as he stammers, backing out of the room.
Mateo just rolls his eyes.
Maybe it’s a lie, he and Victoria haven’t exactly clarified what they are. But she likes him and he knows that she knows that he likes her.
But when it comes to other people, he’ll be damned if he just stands by and lets people think she’s available. Shes not. She’s his. And only his.