The ice pack on Natalie's ankle had gone completely warm and was beginning to leave a layer of condensation against her skin. She shifted, raising her head and pausing to meet eyes with Adrian. He joined her gaze confidently and comfortably, with no sign of anxiety. All of the feelings of the past couple of days came crashing down on her all at once, and Natalie was suddenly overcome with an overpowering urge to kiss the man in front of her. It felt as though the room was on fire. Overwhelmed by a searing heat that rose up from her stomach, Natalie felt her face flush bright red. She bit her lip, hesitating momentarily as she weighed out her options.

She reasoned that kissing Adrian was probably a horrible idea. It would likely send him into a panic, and then he would want her to leave, and then she would have to be without him once again. Slightly saddened at the idea, Natalie settled for the next best thing. Taking in a controlled breath, she steeled herself and leaned in, kissing Adrian softly on his face, just to the right of his lips. She pulled back slightly, enough to see his reaction. His cheeks flushed pink, and Natalie thought she saw his breath quicken slightly. She felt a thick tension settle in the air as the two maintained eye contact for several more moments. Natalie realized if she didn't get up now, she wasn't going to be able to stop herself from kissing Adrian full on. She swallowed hard, pulling away and sitting up straight.

"Thank you for everything, Adrian. I think I should probably go to bed."

"Okay," he replied weakly.

Natalie thought she heard a twinge of disappointment in his voice but, still unsure of her ability to control herself, she didn't dare look back. Adrian stood from the couch and held out his arm, helping Natalie up. He handed her her crutches and let her walk herself to the bedroom, following close behind her. There was already a fresh set of sheets and pajamas waiting for her.

"Goodnight, Natalie," Adrian began. "Let me know if you need anything."

He turned to leave, his shoulders slumped, his head slightly downcast, and his feet dragging heavy across the floor. He looked positively defeated. If she didn't know better, Natalie thought he seemed truly upset. But about what? Surely it wasn't that he had wanted her to kiss him, right? She felt a lump forming in her throat and, before she could stop herself, she was opening her mouth to speak.

"Actually...I do need something," she replied, her voice trembling slightly.

Adrian turned back around, his expression slightly confused. Awkwardly hobbling across the room, Natalie brought herself face to face with him. Dropping her crutches to the floor, she wrapped her arms around his neck for support and leaned in, pressing a kiss firmly on his lips. Instantly, she felt her body come alive, a fire coursing its way over her lips, down through her chest, and into her stomach. After just a moment, she gently broke the kiss, her breathing now labored as her nerves caught up to her. Reluctantly, she glanced up at Adrian, afraid of what his reaction might be.

However, he stayed planted in place, searching her eyes curiously. His face was filled with a mixture of surprise, nervousness, and contentment. He didn't seem upset. Natalie felt her breath hitch in her throat. Her arms around his neck, the closeness of his face to her own, the way both of them had started to breathe a little quicker – she couldn't resist. She leaned in again, this time kissing him a little softer, lingering a little longer.

As their lips parted, Natalie rested her head on his shoulder for a moment, feeling almost as though she could pass out. Adrian slipped his arm around her waist – his touch sending a wave of electricity throughout her body – as he helped her move back over to the bed. As Natalie sat down, she glanced up at him, worried he might become upset. But he didn't look bothered; he appeared to be deep in thought.

"Goodnight, Natalie," he said quietly. "Let me know if you need anything...else." He finished, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Adrian closed the door behind him, leaving Natalie to her thoughts.

She sat there on the bed, staring at the wall for several minutes, trying to process what had just happened. She had kissed Adrian Monk. Twice. It apparently didn't scare him away. And, God...it felt amazing. Even a little more amazing than she wanted to admit. Her stomach was still flip-flopping as she re-lived the moment over and over again. In all honesty, she had imagined it many times, but she never realized it would feel so...right.

Natalie slipped into Adrian's pajamas, now feeling especially thrilled by the sensation of his clothing against her body. She truly couldn't believe it. She had kissed Adrian Monk and now she was wearing his pajamas, and sleeping in his bed, and he was still apparently okay with all of this. She closed her eyes, her lips still tingling. She couldn't help but smile as she snuggled up under the blankets and drifted into sleep.