Christian's POV
It's dark now, I am sitting listening to Ana breathe while watching the sun set, a beautiful sunset I hope to share with her soon. The sky was as red as the fires of hell meaning we are in for a warm spring day tomorrow and I wonder what I can do while she is stuck in the big cast to make her days better and more enjoyable. I can't go moving her around as much as I want to and really between studying which she is determined to do, and the physio, I don't think she will want to do anything else and her exhaustion won't let her anyway.
Well, I can dream I suppose, I wonder how long it will be before I can take her out on the boat or perhaps in Charlie Tango, hey that could work, she is going to be strapped in anyway and I can take her on some sightseeing trips over Seattle and around Vancouver. I smile as I think that I have never taken a woman up in Charlie Tango and how she will react to it and then I hear the moan. It starts quietly and then within seconds it turns into a scream and I am up and onto the bed trying to calm her, it seems like she is going to try to fight me, with both hands she is pushing at my chest and I am amazed at her strength, for such as tiny person she is actually able to push me backwards and then her body recognises me and her brain registers that it is me whispering urgently into her ear and she collapses back on the bed in tears.
"Oh baby, I'm so sorry" I breathe out and she opens her eyes to look at me and through the sobs manages to whisper, "I thought those nurses were back" and I curse the fact that I can't wrap myself totally around her body, the whole leg cast hookup which is protecting her damaged pelvis means she is stuck on her back. "The nurse wants to give you some painkillers, please will you do it for me? The pain killers will ease the pain receptors in your body and that will mean you brain can relax as well because the body won't feel like it is under siege and you'll be able to sleep without these horrid nightmares. Will you please take them?" I say pleading with her.
She shudders and looks deep into my eyes and says quietly, "Will you stay with me?" and I nod and she says "ok I'll take them but I need to know that you are here protecting me" and I smile and kiss her gently on the lips.
"Baby, I'm not going anywhere, I can finally sleep in my own bed and you being here makes it so much better, we might both get a full night's sleep but before that, do you want some dinner? Mrs Jones has some easily digestible tasty mac and cheese." It looks like she considers it and is about to turn it down when her stomach grumbles and I raise my eyebrows and she smiles and says "I guess my stomach says yes" and I laugh and with a "Wait here, I'll get the nurse and some dinner." I go to leave the room.
I am out the door just as a pillow sails past my head and I turn with a shocked look to see an angelic Ana peeking out at me under her hair as she picks at the sheet, the "What did I do" look on her face changes to a shit-eating grin as I say "You have a good arm Miss Steele" and she says "Yes, and you'll do well to remember that Mr Grey. Especially when you make smart-arse comments like "Wait here" when you know damn well I can't move!" God, this girl does things for me, her and her smart mouth! That mouth… that mouth that draws me back down and this time I can't keep it too gentle, I want to feel her, I want to heal her, I just want her and then her tummy grumbles again, loudly and she laughs against my lips and my answering smile breaks the moment and I shake my head and kiss her forehead as she squeezes me and this time I make it out the door.
Ana's POV
I hate all the poking and prodding and the fact that I have to take the medication but if it means that I sleep and don't disturb Christian, I am happy to take it, he is looking so haggard, his gorgeous face lined with worry and this accident seems to be wreaking major havoc on his life, who knows what has happened to his businesses this week as well as what damage has been done to his mental state. Somehow he senses what I am thinking, he has an uncanny ability to do so and says "Well, it's Friday night and we have a weekend to look forward to, is there anything you want to do, … places you want to go?" and he grins pretending to look around for things that I could possibly throw at him.
I could drown in that smile, it lights up his face and shines in his eyes and I can't help but giggle which only widens the smile and causes tingles deep inside as his eyes crinkle and he leans forward to kiss some cheese off my lips "would you like to share some of my dinner, to start with?" I say and he explains he's already eaten but that he has something coming that he will share with me in a minute and when I cock my head he just smiles that gorgeous smile again and I forget what I was thinking and want to throw myself at him, if only I could move my body.
He does that mindreading thing again and says in a husky voice "Later, eat your dinner or you don't get what's next" and I raise an eyebrow, oh please don't treat me like an errant child because I don't take too well to that but I am not going to defy him and I'm happy he doesn't want any; Mrs Jones' mac and cheese is too delicious to share, let alone not eat the lot. Waiting until I have finished, he grins, grabs the plate and disappears only to reappear a few minutes later with a covered tray. With a flourish he reveals first a teapot, cup and teabag and proceeds to slowly pour the water into the teacup and makes a show of dunking the teabag quickly and pulling it back out and I can't stop the fit of giggles that erupts. His answering smile is gorgeous but I really want to know what is under the cloche and so with a flourish, he lifts the lid and there sits an enormous chocolate cake with beautiful white chocolate ganache and two forks.
Our matching smiles could save a power station running out of coal and I offer him a fork and he delicately cuts a piece and places it at my lips. My brain nearly combusts at how romantic this scene would be if I wasn't trussed up like a turkey and somehow he senses that I have taken a dark turn in my mind and he moves quickly so that he is sitting next to me and wrapping his arm around my shoulders. As I turn my head into his shoulder he gently traces my cheek bones with his finger and then simply holds me and allows me my moment before saying "Better?" and while I am still hiding my face, I nod and he lowers his head to gently kiss me and says as he turns my head and looks into my eyes, "I'd feed you chocolate cake forever if it meant you smiled like that for me every time I did it."
Christian's POV
It's true, her smile lights up the room and my life and when she turns inwards, it scares me because I don't know when we are going to hit the rejection area of her thoughts and I don't know what I am going to be able to do when she gets there. I didn't expect the strength of her hug pulling my head down to hers after my last statement, nor the tears running down her cheeks but I know her enough now to know that they are happy tears as her body isn't wracked by painful sobs so I quickly kiss them away and move back to her lips, revering them as much as I am enjoying her response.
Suddenly she starts giggling, ruining the moment completely but I don't mind, "What?" I query as she shakes in my arms.
"I'm so sorry but all I could think of was that you are breaking all the rules, I have eaten way too much and I hadn't had a bit of the white chocolate yet and I am supposed to be sleeping, nurse Melanie would be very angry with you if she knew" Ana says rubbing her hand gently down my arm and I smile.
"Well, yes, hmm, bringing the whole cake up was probably the wrong thing to do and I'll bring it back down for everyone else to share but here, you're allowed this piece of ganache while I go do that" and I leave a plate with a giant piece of white chocolate on the tray table and bring the rest down to Welch and Ray who are still sitting there sharing beers. It's nice to be able to reassure Ray that Ana is feeling better, has eaten most of the piece of cake that is missing and had all her dinner and seems ok at the moment. He nods his head and reminds me that if I bring Mikey, the guitar, into the room, she will be able to self soothe if she wakes up and is upset and I hope she won't have to but I love that he is able to help in this regard so thank him, wish them all goodnight and take the steps two at a time to get back to her.
"Did you eat all of that?" I ask incredulously as the plate is clean and she tries but is hopeless at keeping a straight face, first she blushes red and then dissolves into a fit of giggles and then withdraws the whole piece from under the blankets.
Between the giggles I get, "I was going to save it for later…."as if she was being serious and then with a hint of exasperation, "As if I could eat it all you goose! I wanted to eat it with you."
My brain jumps to the fact that I don't think I've ever been called a goose and no-one has ever gotten away with calling me an idiot but from her, I know it is without malice and means she is comfortable with me, it makes me feel warm, right to the core. I can't even attempt a severe look as a reprimand, she disarms me completely and so I simply sit where she is patting the bed and lean in to take my side of the chocolate.
Then Ana continues with "You know, you nibble on one side and I start on the other, no hands like a noodle" I have no idea what she is talking about but if it means that my mouth ends on hers, as I imagine the final situation will be, I am all for it.
That was very satisfactory and we lean back against the pillows, I know Ana should be asleep but I want to talk to her, I want to know about her beyond the horrors of her life that are unfortunately forever imprinted on my brain.
"Tell me what you like?" I say, "Where would you go? What would you do? What is important to you?"
A little smile plays upon her lips and she turns to me and says instead "Is your piano important to you?"
No, she's not getting away with that so I say, "Hey, I was asking you the questions? Yes it is. Now back to you. Well is your guitar important to you?"
She smiles and says "It is the most important possession I have…. So your piano is important to you and my guitar is important to me, you should see this house I saw online, the whole house looked like a piano with a giant guitar resting against it.
It sounds intriguing so I decide to shock her with "Would you like that? I would have it built for you" and she almost chokes and says incredulously "Are you serious? You have more money than sense!" And all I can think of is "It's good to be me" and I grin at her.
Ok, time to bring it back to something she is comfortable with "You never told me what you want to do tomorrow…"
She smiles and quietly states "I know it's silly but I'd love to see the dawn from this amazing apartment"
I can't help it, "Amazing you say?"
"Yes, just like its owner" and her lips curl up in a smile and I will my body to hold still, with her sitting on my lap I am struggling to stop my body revealing itself but I learnt control a long time ago and I go back into that space for a second and then I realise that worry has clouded her expression and I smile to dispel her worry "Sorry, I was thinking about what I could show you but the dawn I can do if you are awake, I am not waking you if you are asleep" and she doesn't look convinced, I think she can read me better than anyone I know, but she lets it go in the spirit of our light hearted conversation.
"Well, I'm not going to sleep then" she says with a sexy pout and she crosses her arms in a fake protest but just as she sits there, the suggestion of sleep appears to trigger a yawn she can't suppress and she breaks down into a giggle that I can't help but join in with and I cuddle her as I chuckle. I can't explain it, her warmth heats me to my core, waking and soothing as it goes.
"Well, daybreak is accounted for, what else? Tell me what would you like for breakfast? Mrs Jones normally doesn't work on the weekend but she is here this weekend with everyone staying and will happily cook whatever you desire." I used desire in my sentence because I would give her anything she wants at this moment if I could. "Come on, your breakfast order please and then you are going to sleep" and as she starts to pout at being ordered to do something I say "You can pout all you like but you are supposed to be asleep and I don't want nurse Melanie madder with me than she already is and my mom is coming tomorrow to check on you and I don't want her mad at me as well" and she nods and smiles instead.
"I'd love pancakes but honestly, I don't care whatever Mrs Jones cooks is divine and I am sure I'll enjoy it all" and she hesitates for a second and then says "And thank you. Will you be back soon? Can you call Nurse Melanie for me please?"
Orders placed for breakfast and I am back in the room as the nurse rolls Ana back to the bed and it is my pleasure to pick her up and lay her down on my bed… she's in my bed and I can't stop the smile growing on my face… and with the final assistance from the nurse, Ana is lying as comfortably as she can and the nurse departs.
A quick shower and I am back in the room as Ana is obviously fighting sleep and I slide in next to her, I linger on a gentle kiss but as I wrap her in my arms, she snuggles into me and makes some cute quiet mewling sounds as she finally slips into sleep and a peace descends on me and I am able to slip into a peaceful sleep as well.
I am woken from my unusually deep sleep by something and sit up horrified, Ana isn't in my arms anymore and worse, she isn't even in the bed. As my eyes acclimatise to the darkness I can see her reclining on the chaise by one of the windows looking out and I hold my breath as I watch her, how did she get there? How did I not feel her moving off the bed? How much damage has she done to herself? I can feel the anger rising at my lack of control and Ana's complete lack of self- preservation but for once I realise that anger is not going to help in this situation so I quietly pad over to her. As I go to touch her hair, I see the tears coursing down her cheeks and my heart breaks for her and I grab my robe and place it over her before sliding on behind her and spooning her into my body trying to provide comfort and she relaxes ever so slightly and rests her head on my forearm. I gently brush her hair off her face and simply hold her and finally the tears start to slow and she mumbles "I'm sorry, I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep and…. Don't be mad but I decided I really want to see the dawn." I'm glad she realises that I am less than pleased with what she has done and I can't believe that I am managing to control my temper but she disarms me completely when she says "You looked so peaceful sleeping, it looked like the first time you had slept properly and comfortably since I appeared in your life and I didn't want to be responsible for waking you up."
My non-existent heart swells and threatens to break through my chest and I just pull her tighter, my baby wants to watch the dawn, well, I'll watch it with her in my arms and deal with the ramifications on her health later.