Natalie woke abruptly, startled by a light knock at the door. She blinked her eyes a few times and glanced at the clock to see that it was 6:30am. All at once, the events of the night before flooded into her mind and Natalie felt her face flush hot, suddenly made anxious by the knowledge that Adrian was on the other side of the door. She sat up in bed and hurriedly brushed her fingers through her hair, in hopes that she would look decently presentable. Momentarily, Natalie found herself amused by the fact that she was suddenly so nervous to see Adrian Monk, the man she had become so incredibly comfortable with over the past several years. But as she was reminded of the way it had felt to have his lips pressed against her own, Natalie's amusement quickly faded back into apprehension. She swallowed hard and managed to answer Adrian's knock with a level voice.
"Come in."
The door creaked open, agonizingly slowly, as Adrian timidly edged his way inside the room.
"Good morning," he murmured.
Natalie studied him for just a moment, surprised and pleased to observe that Adrian didn't appear to be upset or unhappy. He simply appeared to be incredibly nervous. Praying that he was nervous for the same reasons she was, Natalie spoke.
"Come here," she instructed softly, patting the bed beside her.
After a moment of hesitation, he came over, cautiously taking a seat on the bed before casting his gaze down towards the floor.
"I want to talk to you about last night," Natalie began, her voice quiet. "Was that...okay? I mean, you're not mad at me, are you? Because if you are, Adrian, I am so sor-"
"Mad?" He asked incredulously, furrowing his brow and shaking his head. "No, Natalie, of course I'm not mad," he asserted, directing his attention back to the floor.
Natalie breathed a sigh of relief, finding the confidence to push further. She scooted forward slightly, resting her hand gently on Adrian's arm as she looked up at him.
"Well, how...do you feel?"
Adrian closed his eyes and swallowed hard, finding it difficult to focus on anything other than Natalie's warm, soft hand against his arm.
"I - I..." He began, stammering. He took a shaky inhale, gripping the blanket beneath him in an attempt to steady himself. "How do I feel right now?" He asked, glancing over at Natalie. She smiled and nodded, reassuring him. "Nervous," he admitted softly, blushing. "Very nervous."
Natalie smiled, her heart endeared by Adrian's innocence. She moved closer, reaching out and gently rubbing his back.
"Hey, it's okay," she reassured him. "I'm nervous, too." She shrugged.
He glanced up at her and they both smiled, looking into each other's eyes for just a moment. Adrian glanced back downwards, twisting his hands together in his lap. Sensing his uncertainty, Natalie continued.
"Adrian, did you like it when I kissed you?"
"Y - Yes," he muttered, blushing profusely.
"Would you like me to do it again?" She asked gently.
"Yes," he whispered, swallowing hard.
Natalie smiled and leaned forward, taking his face in her hands and kissing him. Overcome with emotion, she couldn't help but kiss him more passionately than she had the night before. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her, deepening their kiss. Natalie was surprised to feel Adrian's arms curl around her as he tentatively began to return the affection. His hands trailed lightly down her body, settling against her lower back, just as his tongue slightly grazed against hers. Surprised by his initiative and thrilled by this new level of intimacy, Natalie's body began to respond intensely. She forced herself to break away, in fear that she wouldn't be able to maintain self-control.
"W - Was that okay?" Adrian asked, worried, his face bright red.
"Oh, Adrian, yes, that was more than okay," she replied, catching her breath as she laughed nervously. "I just...need a minute."
Adrian furrowed his brow, confused.
"I just," Natalie bit her lip, hesitating as she tried to find the best way to explain to him what she meant. "I liked that a lot. It's just...I'm used to moving fast. But this is different. This is you, and I lo-" She paused, saving herself from making that admission just yet. "I didn't want to let myself get carried away and go further than what you were comfortable with."
"Oh," Adrian replied, smiling nervously and fidgeting his hands together as he realized what she meant. "So," he continued, his voice soft, "W - What does this mean?"
"It means whatever you want it to mean, Adrian," Natalie replied, scooting closer and taking his hand in hers.
Seeing that Adrian was confused by this, Natalie continued.
"What I mean is, I just want to know that whatever is happening between us is happening because you want it to. In case you couldn't tell, I obviously have...feelings for you. She blushed, suddenly feeling very shy at having finally admitting out loud what she had known for years. "I never imagined this would ever actually be happening. All of this is like a dream to me. But I just want to make sure things move at your pace, not mine."
Adrian smiled slightly, nodding, still unsure what to say.
"Adrian," Natalie continued cautiously, "Do you think you could ever...I mean, have you ever...thought of me in that way before? I mean, do you, you know, have feelings for me at all?" She finished, squeezing her eyes shut, terrified of what his response might be.
"I do," He replied softly, smiling at Natalie as he saw relief wash over her.
"You do?" She asked, hopeful.
"Yes, Natalie, I..." He hesitated, trying to find the right words. "I realized how I felt when you left. I just tried not to think about it. But since you've been back, I just...It's been very nice."
She smiled, taking his hand in hers.
"So," Natalie began, "Where would you like things to go from here?"
"I would like it very much if maybe you...you know, would go st - steady with me," Adrian stammered, smiling shyly.
"Oh, Adrian," Natalie exclaimed, leaning forward and hugging him tightly, "I would love that."
