AN: This is not part of my series. It is just a random one shot. Enjoy!

Kat's POV

I have never felt safer.

The breeze came through the window, rustling the curtains and bringing the scent of morning dew into my bedroom. The sun's rays landed gently on my face and warmed me. My comforter covered me all the way to my neck, keeping the cold air from hitting my body. The contrast of my satin pajama shorts and cotton t-shirt felt amazing on my skin. All of these sensations, I felt as I woke up slowly to a new day.

None of them is the reason I feel so safe.

The pale arm lying under my head and pillow and the other arm over my waist, holding me closely against a warm, male body were the true cause. I mumbled quietly, not wanting my words to travel through any walls.

"Morning."

The arm at my waist tightened slightly, while the over started sliding through my brown hair.

"Hello, my beautiful Katharina."

I turned over to face my boyfriend of exactly one year, looked up into his eyes, and blushed slightly. I couldn't help it.

"There's no need to blush, babe. How are you feeling?"

"Like I just experienced the best night of my life. You?"

"Same. Happy One Year Anniversary."

He leaned down and kissed me softly, then with more passion as the kiss progressed. I released his lips and laid my head on his chest, breathing in the scent of his aftershave. I couldn't believe it had been a year already. Time had definitely flown by.

Patrick and I hadn't started off on a bright note, but our bickering had eventually morphed into a surprising friendship. After a couple of months of hanging out pretty much every day, Patrick had decided that we were dating and told me so. I wasn't going to give into him that easily though, so I made him work like crazy to get me to agree to go on a date with him. The final challenge was meeting my dad. Surprisingly enough, he passed with flying colors. Turns out my dad had detected a change in me those last couple months, and connecting the dots, he decided that at least Patrick wasn't a bad influence on me. Of course, we were not allowed in the house alone and he took off my door until a couple months ago. Our relationship wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, but then again, we were Kat Stratford and Patrick Verona.

Then the day came that almost destroyed our relationship. In the end it made us stronger than ever.

His shop class buddies were hounding Patrick. He and I had just recently come out publicly about our relationship, and it was big news in the rumor mill. They had wanted to know how far he had gotten with me. Wanted details. I guess Patrick had been pretty open to them before, but he wasn't about us. The guys decided that his silence meant he couldn't "get any" from me; he was "losing his touch". He told them to back off and gave his infamous glare, but later that night he admitted that it had really bothered him that they had said that.

That night Patrick and I were together in my room, since only Bianca was in the house. We had been making out on my bed, when Patrick put his hand under the back of my shirt and headed towards my bra clip. He had never tried that before, knowing how I felt about keeping our clothes on.

I pulled away from him.

"Stop."

"Lighten up and have some fun. Come on Kitty."

Only one other person had called me that nickname, and he wasn't someone I ever wanted to think about again. I freaked out. Pushed Patrick off me and scrambled off the bed. I refused to look him in the eye.

"Get out. I don't want you here."

"Kat-"

"Leave!"

"You're overreacting, Kat."

"I am not overreacting! You know nothing! Go away, find someone easy to get your fix, because it's not going to happen with me."

I had started crying by this time, holding my arms around my stomach in a protective position. My breath started getting shorter and faster.

"Kat, you need to breathe. I'm not going to hurt you, but I'm not leaving until you calm down."

Eventually I calmed down enough to get my breath back. He had apologized over and over again, telling me about the guys in shop. He admitted that it had struck a nerve with him, because he felt like I didn't want him as much as he wanted me. I could see the hurt in his eyes and realized it was time to tell him about my past.

I told him about Michael, my first and only other boyfriend. I told him about the night that he tried to get me to do some things I wasn't comfortable with. About how he took matters into his own hands and hurt me. Patrick had been livid. At first I worried that it was directed at me, but he assured me that it was Michael he wanted to have ten minutes alone with in a dark alley.

We had let out a lot of emotions that night, and he told me that he understood why I felt the way I do about intimacy. He never pushed me in that way. Our relationship has progressed since then, and now I was with him on my bed. It was my gift to him. Not sex. I still wasn't ready for that, though I was close. Patrick said he wanted to spend the whole day with me as my gift to him. I understood what he meant, and agreed that it would be the perfect gift for me as well. He arrived at my window at 11:55 p.m. last night, and by midnight I was in his arms.

Trusting him to be in my bed all night and not try to push for more than what we already did was my gift to him.

Holding me in his arms all night and making me feel safe and loved was his gift to me.

It was the perfect way to start our anniversary. I couldn't wait for the day ahead.

AN: Just a little something that wouldn't leave my mind, even after a fire drill and being locked out of my room interrupted its coming together. What did you think? Different than my usual writing, but I wanted to give first person a try. Any interest in Patrick's POV?