Chapter 10: Seriously

Hoping that you can't hear me
Cause I feel like I am thinking out loud
Wondering if you can read me
I guess there is no easy way out
I take it too far
Whenever you're around
But you caught me off guard
You're already breakin' me down

Seriously-Katy McAllister

WPOV

"If I have not made it clear before Natie, I would just like to say I told you sooo." I tell Nate languidly as he carries me from the car to my house. I tried to get out of the car on my own and just let him to support me but he wasn't having it.

"Oh no Win, you have made that abundantly clear, that and your plans to murder me." He says chuckling at me.

"What's so funny gigantor?" Why is he laughing at me, that's not fair me being hurt is not funny.

"Nothing woman, you are just really high. I don't think you've ever called me Natie before."

I glare up at him, but apparently I don't look too intimidating being carried in his arms like a child.

I decide to not say anything else to him and instead focus on my brothers. "Hey losers." I shout over Nate's shoulder.

"Yeah." Alex calls back.

"When's gram gonna be home?"

"Not for a few days maybe even a week Grampa had another stroke, he may need surgery. She wanted to come home when she heard about your little tumble but I told her that X and I had it. Not to mention your boy here who won't let your feet touch the ground." He teases.

I growl at him. "Ugh whatever, Nate will you please take me upstairs?" I beg wanting to be done with this conversation.

He doesn't speak his answer, he just nods and makes his way towards the stairs.

As he carries me I can actually feel his strength I always knew he was muscular but I never had actually felt those muscles work before. He makes carrying all 150 pounds of me look so easy.

When we make it to the top of the stairs and inside my room he takes me to my bed and gently sits me down. I still wince at the transfer though. Despite the morphine from earlier my ribs are killing me and it hurts just to breathe. I realize slowly that I'm going to have to take a shower, because there is no way I am sleeping with dirty melted snow hair and what feels like sticks in my top.

"Nate." I say quietly

"Yeah." He answers from where he's standing beside the bed.

"Uhh, can you go run the bath for me?"

"Sure." He replies his expression unchanging.

"Do you know where-" I start to ask him before he cuts me off.

"Through the closet and to the left." He says shortly.

He turns and makes his way in there. All I can think about is the underwear and clothing strewn about behind those doors. Oh well it's not like he hasn't seen them before, but to be fair when he strung my underwear across the power line I wasn't exactly into Agent Provocateur. My tastes have gotten a bit more risqué since my Victoria's Secret days.

I hear the bath water start. For some reason my heart rate picks up.

NPOV

As I walk through her closet all I can think is damn this girl likes her underwear. It's all frilly, lacy and expensive. Not to mention sinful, even just laying on the floor. I can just imagine her wearing it. Okay Nate refocus, go run the damn bath water.

I walk through the open bathroom door and to the huge claw footed tub in the middle of the room, you could fit three people in there. I turn on the faucet and the and tub starts to fill. I even throw in some of the bubble bath thats sitting on the side, maybe it will make her feel more comfortable. I make my way back to Winnie's bedroom only to find her struggling to take off her shirt on the bed.

"What are you doing?" I ask confused at the way she's going about taking off the white long sleeve shirt she wore under her snow gear earlier. They took off most of it at the hospital to do x-rays and wrap her ribs, leaving her in just the shirt and the baggy snow pants.

"What does it look like I'm doing idiot, I'm going to take a bath and I can't do that in clothes." She snaps at me, I don't take it personally though, I know she's in pain and she's just embarrassed that she can't do things for herself right now. Always little miss independent.

"Lift your arms." I demand.

"Excuse me." She says.

"You heard me lift your arms." I say ignoring her bullshit.

With a glare she lifts them from her sides about halfway.

"Above your head." Now she's just being difficult.

I step closer to her and she continues lifting them until they are extended straight up and pointing to the ceiling. I reach for the bottom of her shirt pulling it up slowly, trying to be as gentle as I can. She hisses when it reaches the point in her torso where her damaged ribs are. I stop. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine just hurry up and pull it off."

I comply getting her shirt over her chest and shoulders quickly. She does the rest rolling the sleeves off her arms.

I look down at her exposed chest, her bra is simple just black and white polka dotted cotton with a little bow in the middle. Like a present. Despite the simplicity of it, it's still sexy. I look away quickly praying she doesn't bitch at me for checking her out.

"Do you mind carrying me in there? We have some crutches around here somewhere but I really don't feel like using those right now." She says sheepishly covering the sides of her chest with her arms.

"Of course, it's not a big deal at all, if you want I'd carry you through school." I say trying to get her to laugh.

She smiles. "I don't think that will be necessary. To the bathroom Jeeves."

I laugh. "Do you think I should get one of those chauffeur hats? You know so I can really be legit?"

She stares at me before cracking up. She curses. I stop laughing immediately.

"I'm fine, it just hurts to laugh." She says tries to appease the concerned look on my face.

I pick her up deftly and carry her to the bathroom. By then the tub is full.

I sit her down on the stool next to the tub.

"Do you need anything else?" I ask standing back up.

"I think I got it." She says.

"Okay. If you need anything just yell, I don't care if you're naked, we can't have you slipping and hurting yourself more."

"I got it Nate."

WPOV

Well that was embarrassing and hot all at the same time, all I could think about was that dominating tone in his voice when he told me to lift my arms. Then his hands were on my shirt and I almost lost it and not just because of the pain.

I manage to lift my leg and unwrap my ankle which has now swollen to the size of a baseball with little difficulty, I also quickly undo the snow pants and wiggle them off my legs trying not to jostle my ankle more than necessary. This isn't so bad, but I've forgotten one thing. My ribs are still wrapped and there's no way I can reach around to undo the clips at the back nor am I going to be able to unhook my bra. Damnit. He's just going to love this.

"NATE!" I holler. He's in here within seconds, he stops short at the sight of me just sitting in my underwear. I expect him to look away or something but he just looks pissed. I'm momentarily confused before he starts yelling at me.

"God damnit Winnie! I thought you had fell, you scared the shit out of me."

"I'm SORRY." I yell right back not the least bit sincere. Seeing that I'm fine he calms down a bit.

He looks at me questioningly.

"I need you to unwrap my ribs... and unhook my bra."

That gets his full attention.

I continue to ramble my cheeks flushing.

"I didn't think about my ribs when you were in here, and I realized that if I couldn't undo the wrap there was no way I could.. you know." I trail off. He nods, saving me further embarrassment.

He walks behind me and kneels down to where I'm sitting. He quickly un does the little clips in the back and this time I lift my arms without instruction as he slowly unwinds the stretchy material from around my torso.

He seems so calm and focused while I'm sitting here holding my breath and praying he can't hear my heart that sounds like its trying to pry it's way out of my chest.

"Done with that." He says more to himself than to me. I feel him start to reach up to unhook my bra clasp. He does that without much difficulty, guess he has experience I think bitterly.

I hold the cups to my chest and he helps me stand up. I slowly put my good foot into the bubble filled tub and then the other but I don't put it down. All the while Nate has an arm on my waist and shoulder keeping me steady I slowly start to bend my knees and sit down in the deep tub.

"Look away" I tell Nate. He does quickly and I toss my bra on the floor and fully submerge my self in the water. "It's okay now." He looks back to me, my chest is no longer visible under the water but I realize that I still have my damn panties on. There was no way I was going to take those off with him looking.

"You need something else?" He asks turning to walk to the door

"No I think I got it."

He just makes it to the doorway when I speak again.

"Actually can you get me something to sleep in? Just like a big t-shirt?" I take a pause debating about doing what I'm about to do. Since I sat down in this tub I have been shimmying my underwear down my legs and now they're attached to my good foot. I slowly lift that leg out of the water and fling the black lacy boyshorts across the room. He stares at me speechless.

"And you can get me another pair of those." I say smiling wickedly.

"O- Okay." He stammers dumbly. I figured he needed a little reward. God I'm going to hell.

NPOV

I leave the bathroom quickly, I can't believe she did that. I had enough trouble not staring at her in her underwear, or not looking when she took off her top. But shit, she makes it really hard to be respectful when she's throwing her panties in my direction. I try to remember the task at hand.

She needs something to sleep in. I start opening drawers in the shelves of clothing that are built into the wall. I open the first drawer I see: bras, second drawer more bras, third drawer more bra's. All in color order. I'm beginning to sense a pattern here. I pick a plain black lace one. I don't know if she sleeps in one or not some girls don't.

I move to the next set. Silk night shirt things and gowns. Who the fuck is she wearing this for every time I've been here its shorts and a t shirt. I shake my head and open the next drawer there are corsets, actual corsets you have got to be kidding me. If the next drawer doesn't have real underwear in it I'm going to die.

I open it slowly there's thongs in every shape, fabric, and color thank god. I stick with the same theme as the bra I grab a plain black lace one and shove the drawer shut.

Now for a shirt. In all of the clothes hanging I don't see one casual t-shirt but then I spot it, my t-shirt from the night before is laying on the chair thingy in the corner. I changed in here earlier and I guess I left it there..

I grab it quickly and walk back into the bathroom. "Woman." I call out. Her head is laying back on a little pillow at the edge of the tub and she actually looks relaxed.

"You ready to get out? I have your clothes." I tell her.

She lifts her head up. "Yeah, I'm ready this water feels so good on my ribs though." she says sighing.

I'm glad she's not in pain for right now, I sit my shirt and her underthings down on the stool and reach my arm out to her. "Okay I'm going to do this as best as I can with my eyes closed." I tell her. She giggles to herself.

"It's okay Nate, you've practically seen everything else just don't make me feel self conscious and stare alright?"

"Um alright" I reply kind of surprised.

I help her stand up, she's putting most of her weight on me and her right side. I look away as she lifts her leg over the tub and to the floor she falters slightly but I catch her. "I've got you don't worry."

I help wrap the towel that's sitting next to the bath around her. I grab the clothes and sit her back down on the stool. She reaches for them.

"These really?" She questions holding up the panties with a quirked brow.

"What? It took me forever just to find those, besides I thought they looked nice." I tease my normal demeanor slipping back.

"Nothing I guess." She says chuckling to herself.

"By the way what's with the lingerie collection that could belong to a high-class stripper where are your real clothes?"

"I am not a stripper!" She gasps and hits me on the arm. She's blushing now.

"Hey I said high-class stripper. There's a difference." She just stares me down, I keep my expression steady until she finally gives up and smiles.

"I just like nice underwear that's all, I don't buy them for anyone in particular, they're just for me. But I guess now you can enjoy them too." She says slyly.

I smirk at her.

"I probably should have mentioned that the left side is mostly lingerie and nice tops, my sleep wear and casual stuff is on the other side."

"Well that makes a bit more sense." I say.

She nods in response. She gestures for me to look the other way again. I do. When she signals me to turn around she's sitting in just the underwear and has her arms covering her chest.

I know she told me not to stare, but I can't help it. She just looks so beautiful and soft with curves that are literally killing me.

I look away and go to behind her to wrap her ribs, and then her ankle. Seeing the bruise that's already forming on her side I sigh. "I am so sorry" I tell her kissing her shoulder gently, she shivers and leans back against me.

"It's fine Nathaniel I was only giving you a hard time earlier I know it's not your fault." She tells me soothingly. I still feel guilty though.

Shaking it off I hold up the bra with my finger.

"I wasn't sure if you wanted this or not, I know it's like a personal preference or whatever." She reaches for it. "I want it, I like the support." She mutters. She's blushing again.

This girl is so odd one minute she's this panty flinging vixen the next she's blushing about why she wears a bra when she sleeps. I just shake my head and hand it to her. I look away as she puts it on. "Nate I need you to hook it."

"Do you really think I'm going to be able to do that with my eyes closed as well? " I tease.

"Taking it off no problem... but this is a bit different."

"I'm sure you have plenty of experience either way. It's really not that complicated." She huffs.

I reach down and after some fumbling like a 14 year old I finally get it snapped.

She reaches for the shirt but stops when she doesn't recognize it.

"It's mine" I tell her.

When she continues to look at me questioningly I say. "I couldn't navigate that labyrinth you call a closet, and I figured that was big enough."

She smiles to herself, but I have no idea why.

I help her stand up and once she's balanced she puts her arms above her head again effectively lifting her cleavage in the perfect position. This just gets more and more difficult, at this rate I'm going to have blue balls until I'm forty.

I slip my shirt over her head, it barely covers her ass and the collar dips around her shoulder showing her milky white skin.

Somehow this gets me harder than almost seeing her naked.

Seeing her in my shirt is like she's really mine, not just some girl I'm in the process of getting to be with.

I slip my arms around her waist gently, careful not to nudge her ribs. She reaches her arms around me and I step closer so there is no space left between us. I lean my head down to her neck and inhale deeply taking in her scent. "I'm sorry" I whisper in her ear and I kiss her where her neck and shoulder meet. She shivers involuntarily.

"Nate." She says. I lift my head and look at her.

"I'm fine, Just a few bumps and bruises, you seem to forget when I fell off the stage during rehearsal for Beauty and the Beast. I was way worse off then."

"No one fights like Gaston." I quote the song, referencing to the guy who played Gaston that knocked her off the stage.

"Too damn true. Guess he was trying out some method acting." She jokes trying to contain her laughter.

"Ready for bed Beauty?" I ask picking her up and making my way back to her room.

"Lead the way Beast."

Sooo... this was the longest chapter so far. I have no idea if it's too wordy, or too much time was spent on such a small event. But I feel that it's the little things that bind characters, and that's what I'm doing right now. I pretty much write these as I go along until I feel the proper stopping point and for this one it just seemed to go out of my hands. I really hope you like it. Thank you for reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting. It brings a smile to my face to know someone enjoys what I create.

P.S My other story is taking a bit longer to be put together, the first full chapter is about halfway but I can't seem to get my idea of what is happening into words properly.

One last thing go check out Katy McAllister. Every single one of her songs is relatable and equally amazing, she's on youtube and iTunes. Seriously though go listen to her, you won't be disappointed.

XOXO - B&B