Natalie closed her eyes for just a moment, reflecting on the events of the past hour. She would have never imagined she would have been speaking to Adrian, much less staying at his apartment. And now, here he was, letting her sleep in his bed, on his sheets, in his pajamas.
"Don't try to argue," Adrian announced as he entered the living room again, "I'll help you get to bed, come on."
He reached out a hand and carefully helped Natalie up, leading her slowly to the back of the apartment. As they entered the bedroom, Natalie saw a freshly made bed, and the neatly folded set of Adrian's brown, satin pajamas resting on the bedside table. Natalie surprised herself as a feeling of anxious exhilaration began to rise in her stomach. Something about this moment felt vaguely familiar to when she first slept over at Mitch's house back when they were dating. She shook her head slightly, chiding herself.
Why the hell am I nervous? It's just Adrian, she mentally assured herself. Squeezing her eyes shut, she forced the feeling out, making an effort to regain her composure.
"Will you be able to...get...dressed okay?" Adrian asked apprehensively.
"Yes, I'll be fine," Natalie replied, smirking. After a moment of hesitation, she leaned in. "I've missed you," she whispered as she placed a hand on Adrian's face and kissed him gently on the cheek. "Thank you so much for letting me stay."
Adrian blushed, looking down at his hands as he smiled slightly.
"You're welcome," He returned quietly. "Goodnight. Let me know if you need anything."
He smiled softly again, then exited the bedroom, closing the door behind him.
Natalie exhaled deeply as she realized she had been holding her breath.
What the hell is wrong with me? She asked herself, shaking her head slightly.
Despite her best efforts, Natalie couldn't push down the burning in her stomach. It was a frighteningly familiar sensation - one that she refused to entertain. She sighed, reaching out with both hands to steady herself as she plopped onto Adrian's bed. She clumsily stripped off her wet clothes, and tossed them over the back of the nearby chair. Careful not to bump her ankle, she gently eased herself into Adrian's pajamas.
Natalie couldn't help but feel a rush of adrenaline. She thought maybe it was just the crazy events of the evening, or the pain in her ankle, or the sleepiness that was clouding her mind, but after all the years they'd known each other, there was something slightly risqué about the fact that she was wearing Adrian Monk's pajamas. They swallowed her in size, but they smelled of his familiar clean scent, which, she had to admit, soothed her. Staving off the amalgamation of thoughts and feelings that threatened to swirl throughout her mind, she realized there was really no need to chide herself about feeling the way that she did.
It wasn't the first time she had ever felt these familiar sensations towards Adrian. After all, over the years they had worked together, they had gotten very close. Natalie was an affectionate, friendly, and flirtatious person. Those feelings just came naturally to her. Not only that, but she had truly missed Adrian this past year. He was a very important person in her life for a long time, and she was genuinely happy to see him. It made sense that all of those feelings, coupled with being in his familiar apartment, in his pajamas, in his bed, wrapped up in his familiar scent, would make her feel a multitude of emotions. Natalie nodded, satisfied with her rationalization of the day's events and her feelings. Sighing softly, she curled up under his sheets, enveloping herself in warmth and comfort and, in moments, was fast asleep.
