A/N: This fic is for my friend icingontopthecake! It was her birthday the other day and this is her present! I hope she likes it! And I hope you guys like it too! Go read her fics if you haven't! Some amazing reviews would be a good birthday present for her!

Happy Reading!

angellwings

Just Another Day

by angellwings

Ella sighed as the alarm clock went off and quickly turned it off. Nate had the day off and he'd worked late the night before. The last thing she wanted was to wake him. She glanced down at his arm that was slung across her side and smiled softly. She absolutely loved the mornings when she woke up to him sleeping beside of her. It was comforting to start her day with Nate's presence beside of her.

But right now she needed to get up and get ready for work. Which meant she had to move Nate's arm and slip out of the bed. She gently placed her hand under his arm and tried to push it aside but instead Nate tightened his grip on her and buried his face in Ella's hair. At first she thought he was asleep but then he took a long sniff of her hair and Ella smiled warmly.

"Where are you going?" He whispered as he wrapped both of his arms around her and pulled her back to his chest.

"Well, I have work, Nathaniel. I need to start getting ready," Ella said as she turned in his arms to face him.

"You have work on your birthday?" Nate asked in disbelief. "Then why did I take the day off?"

Ella looked thoughtful for a moment before she reached a hand up to caress his cheek. "You took today off for me?"

"It's your birthday," Nate said as he leaned his cheek into her hand. "I thought you might want to spend it together since you refused to have a party."

"I wish I'd have known that," Ella said with a sigh and a pout.

"You know, you never do anything for yourself on your birthday," Nate pointed out. "Not unless Shane or Caitlyn force you into a dinner party."

She shrugged and rested her head against his chest. "It's just another day, Nate, and besides I don't want to have to make a big deal about it for people to remember."

"It's not just another day," Nate said as he squeezed her shoulders. "It's your day."

"No one's ever seen it as my day before, Nate," Ella admitted. "Do you know that my dad leaves the country on my birthday every year? He knows it's my birthday and yet he's never nearby, and mom and William always go on a cruise for their anniversary. Yes, that means what you think it means. My mother was remarried on my birthday." She sighed and blinked back tears. "So, you see? It's always been just another day."

Nate rolled over onto his back and pulled Ella with him. "Then maybe somebody should change that."

Ella sniffled and let out a soggy chuckle. "And are you that somebody?"

He smiled softly and gently cupped her chin in his hands. "I could be." He gently pulled her lips down to his and kissed her deeply. She whimpered and pulled away.

"Nate," Ella whined. "I really do have to get up. I have fittings today."

"So, you're just going to leave me here? In your bed all alone?" He asked with a smirk.

She glared at him playfully. "God, stop smirking."

"Why? Is it working? Do you feel the uncontrollable urge to call in sick and stay here with me?" Nate asked with a grin.

"You know as well as I do that I can't just call in," Ella said with a soft smile. "I have to go, Nate."

She pushed off of his chest to sit up and Nate bit back a groan as she straddled him. "Fine, but clear your schedule for tomorrow because neither of us are going to leave your apartment. Clear?"

She giggled and leaned down to kiss him quickly but his hands grabbed either side of her face before she could pull away and he quickly deepened the kiss. She tried to pull back anyway but didn't get very far. The minute Nate's tongue ran across her bottom lip she gave up. She knew she was done for. She could be late to work just once.

After all, it was her birthday.

She yelped against Nate's mouth as he suddenly flipped her over onto the mattress. Now he was hovering over her. She'd been straddling him when he flipped her so her legs instinctively wrapped around his waist. He immediately buried his face in her neck and Ella felt his nose softly nuzzle her collar bone before he began to softly trail kisses across it. "When's-" Kiss. "Your first-" Kiss. "Fitting?"

Her hands sunk into his curls and she arched her neck and back as he continued to kiss her. "Ten o'clock."

"That's plenty of time," Nate muttered. She could actually feel his smirk against her skin.

She chuckled and gasped when she felt his hands pop a few of the buttons on her borrowed shirt. She'd stolen it from his house the last time she'd stayed over. "I can't believe I'm going to let you make me late for work. You're evil." His lips grazed the small valley of skin in between her breasts and she sucked in a sharp breath. "So so evil."

He laughed and flashed her a rare bright smile. "Happy birthday, Ella."

"It certainly seems to be off to a happy start," Ella said as her heart began to pound. Nate popped another button and returned to kissing her and Ella gulped as heat suddenly flooded her body. "Oh God. Best birthday ever."

Nate sat back on the bed and watched as Ella rushed around her room looking for bits and pieces of her outfit. She put in her second earring as she came out of the bathroom. Her brow furrowed and she brought one hand to her neck as she glanced around the room.

"Where's my necklace?" She asked. "Have you seen my necklace?"

Nate nodded. "You hung it on your closet door knob last night."

"Ah!" Ella exclaimed in relief. She kissed Nate's cheek quickly as she crossed the room for the necklace. "Thank you. You're amazing. Well, except for this whole making me late for work thing."

He grinned at her and chuckled softly. "Don't pretend like you regret it. We both know you don't."

Ella opened her closet and searched for something when she closed the door and turned around he could see how flushed her face was. "Definitely don't regret it. That was…phew." She fanned herself for a moment before she took a deep breath. "Is it hot in here?"

"No, but you do look flustered," Nate said with a smug expression. His brow furrowed when Ella suddenly started crawling around on the floor. She lifted the bed skirt and Nate leaned over the edge of the bed to look at her. "Everything okay, Ella?"

"I can't find my shoes!"

"You have over a thousand pairs of shoes—"

"I do not."

"Fine, over a hundred. Is that more realistic?"

"Yes."

"Why don't you just find another pair?"

"Because these are perfect for this outfit. I bought them specifically to wear with this skirt." Ella's voice was muffled from her spot under the bed. He heard her shout victoriously before she reappeared. "I found one!"

"One but not the other?" Nate asked in amusement. "I don't think that's gonna help you much."

"If you're going to mock me you could at least help," Ella said as she glared at him teasingly.

Nate smiled and stood up from the bed. He kissed her lips quickly. "How about I find you something to eat while you track down your other shoe? Will that help?"

She smiled warmly and nodded. "Yes, that would be a big help."

"Oatmeal sound good to you?" Nate asked. "It's that or a grilled cheese."

Ella laughed. "You're so cute. I really do need to teach you how to cook." She patted his cheek and winked. "Oatmeal sounds perfect. Think you could manage buttered toast?"

"Can't be any more difficult than a grilled cheese sandwich," Nate said with a smirk and a shrug.

"Can you thin it out and put it in a travel mug?" Ella asked. "Kinda like Oatmeal-to-Go?"

Nate chuckled. "If that's what you want."

"I don't really have time to stop now thanks to you," Ella said with a meaningful grin. "So, yes, that's what I want."

"Then done," Nate told her. He gave her another kiss before he left the room. He got to work on the oatmeal and kept an eye on Ella's bedroom door. He really loved mornings where he wasn't the one in a hurry. Being able to sit back and just be there for Ella felt…normal. He valued simple normalcy more now than he ever thought he would. Ella emerged from her room in a completely different outfit just as he poured the oatmeal into her white and pink ceramic travel mug. He quirked a brow at her and laughed loudly. "Couldn't find your other shoe?"

She swatted his shoulder and grinned. "Stop laughing at me. I had to change to match another pair of shoes."

"Only you, Sparkles," Nate said as he handed her the mug. "Only you."

She blushed and rolled her eyes. "Yes, I know. I'm weird."

He laughed a little more before he shook his head. "Do you have everything?"

She nodded. "Yes."

He handed her a piece of toast wrapped in a paper towel as he followed her toward the front door. "What time do you finish up?"

"I actually finish up early today," Ella said brightly. "I'm leaving the office at three."

"So," Nate said with a grin. "I get more time with the birthday-girl later?"

Ella nodded and leaned against him as they stopped in the doorway. "Yes, you do. Kiss?"

He kissed her slowly and softly for a long moment before he finally tore his lips away from hers. Ella had her eyes closed still and looked a little dazed. He gently tugged on a strand of her hair. "You still in there, Ells?"

Ella suddenly shook herself back to reality and cleared her throat. She was clearly flustered again. "Yes, sorry. That was a bit more of a kiss than I expected."

He chuckled and kissed her forehead. "I'll see you when you get home, okay? Don't work too hard."

She rolled her eyes and poked his chest playfully. "Says the work-a-holic."

He smirked and shook his head as he watched her walk away. She was something else, and he knew she deserved a huge birthday celebration more than anyone else he knew. Ella cared so much about everyone else that sometimes she forgot her feelings mattered too. And he wanted her birthday to be special. She was special. He closed her apartment door behind him and dug his cell phone out of his pants from the night before and quickly called someone who would be more than happy to help.

"Caitlyn Gellar, what's shakin', Bacon?"

Nate rolled his eyes. "Did you just call me 'Bacon'?"

"I thought we had the day off so you could spend the day wooing your lady-love, Nater-tot?" Caitlyn asked with a huff.

"Ella's working," Nate said with a sigh.

"On her birthday?"

"Yes."

"Is she crazy?"

"A little bit," Nate said with a chuckle. "But, listen, I have an idea and I need your help."

"What do you need?"

"A place to throw a surprise party?" Nate asked as he bit his bottom lip.

Ella's keys jingled in the lock as she opened the door. She sighed in relief as she closed the door behind her and threw her purse down on the couch. The work day was over. Finally.

"Nate? You home?" Ella asked loudly. All the lights were turned off and she was greeted by silence. Hadn't Nate said he would be here when she got home? "Babe?"

She slipped off her shoes and switched on the lights. She searched her apartment and couldn't find him. It wasn't till she spotted the blinking light on her answering machine that she suspected something was up. She turned on the light in her room as she entered and smiled brightly at what she saw.

Hanging up on her bathroom door next to the nightstand where her answering machine sat was a beautiful coral pink strapless dress. It was rather short and had a small plunging dip on the bodice. It was somehow revealing and modest all at once. She adored it. She took the dress down of the door and pressed play on her answering machine.

"Hey, Ells. I know I said I'd be there when you got home, but…I had to go take care of a few things. Anyway, I hope you've seen the first part of your birthday present by now. The other pieces are in your nightstand drawer. I should be by to pick up around six. You said you'd be home around 4 so that's two hours. Do you think two hours is enough time for you to get ready?" She chuckled at the teasing tone in his voice. "Probably not, right? Anyway, see you in a couple of hours. Love you. Happy birthday."

Ella saved the message and opened up her nightstand drawer to find a pair of shoes, a matching clutch, and jewelry. She loved all of it and she was immediately amazed by how well Nate knew her. She was very picky about her clothes. Usually gifted clothes ended up being returned, but Nate had somehow purchased items that were beyond perfect. She laid everything out on her bed gently before she walked away to take a shower. She didn't know what Nate had planned and she couldn't wait to find out.

She decided to enjoy her shower. She'd been really stressed out at work lately and she always dreaded her birthday so her whole body was tense and exhausted. Her poor muscles needed that hot water and she nearly groaned out loud when she stepped into the shower. She took off her boring professional make up first. That dress deserved something fun. She was thinking corals and soft pinks with strong lines on her lash lines. Fierce, flirty, and pretty.

Nearly forty-five minutes later, when the water was starting to chill and her hands were severely pruney, Ella stepped out of the shower and slipped on her robe. She immediately got to work drying her hair and then used the curling iron to achieve those graceful waves she liked so much. And once that was done she moved on to her make up and then got dressed. By the time she was finally ready it was almost ten after six.

Nate was late.

The door suddenly flew open and a winded Nate entered the apartment. Ella smiled at him in amusement. "You know, you didn't have to run."

"Yes, I did. Your teenage neighbors down the hall had me cornered in the elevator…I only narrowly escaped."

Ella pressed her lips together to hold back her laughter and looked down at her hardwood floor.

"Don't laugh at me. The younger one grabbed my ass," Nate grumbled as he threw his keys in the dish by the door.

And that's when Ella lost it. She laughed so hard and loud that Nate couldn't help but smile and chuckle along with her.

"The—the fourteen year old groped you?" Ella asked as her face reddened and her laughter finally slowed down.

"In the enclosed elevator. Where I couldn't get away."

Ella giggled but slowly approached and pushed away one of his stray curls. "Aw, you poor baby." She straightened his collar and grinned at him. "Must be so hard having all the teenies throwing themselves at you and worshiping your very existence. What a tortured life you lead."

He shook his head and smirked. "You're enjoying this far too much."

"It's nice to know my boyfriend is so attractive," Ella said with a wink. "I like that other people think I picked a good one. Speaking of, Nathaniel…"

He knew that tone. That was Ella's "You're in trouble" tone. "Yes?"

"My presents are gorgeous, but…you spent far too much. I happen to know how much these shoes cost and the dress—"

He rolled his eyes and slowly pulled her to him. "Ella, what's the point of having money if I can't spend it on the people I love every now and then? Besides," He said as he stepped back and spun her around. "I think my money was well spent. I knew you'd be stunning in that dress and it turns out I was right. I'm tempted to chuck out all the plans I spent the day making and keep you to myself for the rest of the night."

"Oh no, you spent money on this dress and so people have to see it before it ends up on the floor of one of our bedrooms. Besides, I did not spend all that time on my make up to stay in," Ella said with a quirked brow and a teasing glare.

He laughed softly and kissed her forehead. "Fine, you win. Ready?"

"I think so," Ella said as she glanced around her living room. "Just so I know, are we staying here or at your house tonight?"

Nate grinned at her. "Getting ahead of yourself, aren't you?"

"If strange teenagers feel the need to pinch your butt, Nate, what do you think I want to do to you?" Ella asked suggestively. "I'm definitely not getting ahead of myself. We both know how the night's going to end, I think."

He stared after her in shock as she winked at him and then sauntered out of her apartment. Life with Ella Pador was certainly never boring.

"So," Ella asked once they were inside the elevator. "Where are we going?"

"That's top secret," Nate told her with a smirk.

"Oh, come on," Ella said as she looped her arm through his and leaned into his side. "It's my birthday."

"Exactly why it's staying a secret," Nate said with a chuckle as he glanced down at her.

"Fine, but you're mean," Ella said with a pout.

"I'm mean because I'm doing something nice," Nate said with a grin. "Interesting concept."

They managed to duck the photographers that were camped out and waiting for them since it appeared Ella's two teenage neighbors had spread the word that Nate was there. They quickly stepped into his car and took off toward a location that was unknown to Ella. She tried to put together where they were going but she had a feeling Nate was going out of his way to throw her off the trail. Finally they pulled up outside of a large unmarked building with absolutely no signage. It looked like an old building with art deco details and large columns and wide front doors. It was beautiful. She grinned and quirked a questioning brow at him.

"This does not look like a restaurant," Ella told him.

"That's because it's not," Nate told her. "It's actually the old post office building that is now referred to as 'The Infinity Building.'"

Ella's eyes widened. "The Infinity Building? That's…isn't that place usually reserved for weddings and fancy award show after parties?"

Nate smiled sheepishly and shrugged. "Maybe."

Ella paled. "Oh God, Nate. Tell me you didn't."

Nate chose not to say anything. He simply got out of the car and walked around to open her door.

She hesitantly stepped out. "Nathaniel, you've spent enough on me already. If you rented this place out then I hope you never let me find out how much it cost. Accidentally or otherwise. Understood?"

Nate smiled softly at her and leaned down to kiss her deeply. He pulled away and kept a hand on her cheek to caress it as he spoke. "Understood. I will go to my grave without ever letting you come near the invoice."

She sighed contentedly and leaned into his hand. "Thank you."

Nate lowered his hand and then held his arm out to Ella and she looped her arm through his as they walked toward the building. The door opened, the lights came on, and every one Ella cared about suddenly appeared. The look that resulted on Ella's face made everything worth it.

Nate wasn't really a party person and he didn't really spend his money often but he'd never hesitate to do all of this again…for her. Ella was pulled away from him to mingle with her other guests and Nate made his way toward the balcony that looked out over the street below. He closed the tall glass doors behind him and leaned against the railing. Once he was sure he was alone he pulled a jewelry box out of his pocket. It was long and rectangular and held something incredibly shiny and frosted. Something he thought Ella would love.

If she didn't repeat her earlier lecture about his spending habits, that is. What she didn't understand was that there were three people or things that he would allow himself to splurge on. One was his mother because she deserved to spoiled a little after having to put up with him and his brothers for over twenty five years. Another was music. There was no amount of money he wouldn't spend in pursuit of his passion. And the most recent to be added to that list…was Ella. He loved her and there was nothing he wouldn't do to see her happy and there was no present she didn't deserve. He didn't give a damn how much it cost. Yes, he tried to be sensible about his money when it came to most things, but for the rest of his life he would allow himself to splurge on Ella. He knew he didn't have to, but if he was going to spend his money at all he wanted it to be worth it.

Ella was always worth it.

"There you are," a familiar voice suddenly said. "I was wondering where you'd decided to hide."

He turned his head and smiled warmly at Ella. "I'm not hiding. I'm just getting some air."

"Caitlyn said you threw all of this together while I was at work," Ella said with a smirk. "I thought I said I didn't want a party?"

"Want and deserve are two different things, Sparkles. You deserve a lot more than you realize," Nate said as he slipped an arm around her waist. She leaned into him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"You are far too good to me," Ella said with an affectionate chuckle.

He smirked and kissed her forehead. "Not possible." He cleared his throat nervously. "Now, promise you won't yell at me?"

She turned a suspicious stare on him. "Yell at you for what?"

He held out the jewelry box and motioned for her to take it. "For having another present to give you."

"Nathaniel Gray—"

He held up a hand to stop her and then spoke up quickly. "If it helps I bought this one long before I decided to throw this party."

"Next year," Ella said as she leaned up to kiss his cheek. "Stick to buying me one present, okay?"

"No limitation on how big it can be?" Nate asked curiously.

Ella bit her bottom lip as she thought and then nodded. "Fine, no limitation on price or size as long as it's just one present. Deal?"

She held out her hand for a shake and Nate quickly accepted. "Deal. Now open that one."

Ella smiled brightly and her eyes widened eagerly as she ripped into the wrapping and threw aside the lid to the box. She opened the case that was inside slowly and gently as if she were afraid she'd break it and she gasped. It was a bracelet. A diamond covered silver bracelet. "Nate, this is…this is beautiful."

He gulped before he reluctantly responded. "There's a, um, ring that matches that I thought we could maybe talk about buying."

Ella froze for a long moment and nearly dropped the jewelry case. Nate steadied it in her hands and purposefully caught her eye. She stuttered her next question and almost didn't get it out. "A r-r-ring? As in an, uh, en-engagement r-ring?"

Nate squeezed her hands. "That is what I was thinking, yes." He paused and took a deep breath. "What do you think?"

Ella's shocked face suddenly turned joyful and she jumped into his arms. "Yes!" Ella laughed merrily and then pulled back to kiss him hard on the mouth. "Yes, we should totally invest in the matching ring!"

"That's what I was hoping you'd say," Nate said as he released a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. He pulled her close again and kissed her neck softly as he held her. "I love you, Ella."

"I love you too, Nate," Ella said as she sighed happily. "Thank you for making this my happiest birthday ever."

"No thanks necessary, Ells. I plan on making happy birthdays a tradition for us. If that's okay with you?"

Ella laughed and kissed him deeply. She pulled away and nodded. "Perfectly okay. In fact if today is a sign of things to come then I'm looking forward to it."