"Stop it Nick, before I permanently disable you beyond recognition" Natalie muttered from underneath her covers as Nick tried his best to wake her up. He nudged her repeatedly before she finally sat up and threw a pillow in his direction. "Go away!"
"Come on Nat wake up, I need to ask you a favour" Nick pleaded, putting on a baby voice.
"Go awayyyyy" Natalie moaned, burying herself underneath her pillow.
Nick flopped down onto the bed and landed on Natalie's leg causing her to give out a yelp. "Oooof...jeez Nick you weigh a ton."
"That's it! No comments about weight are tolerated" Nick declared as he began jumping up and down on the bed yelling at the top of his lungs. "GET UP NAT!"
Natalie snaked her foot out causing Nick to stumble and fall which instigated a shocked cry from Nick and a fit of giggles from Natalie. "Welcome to earth, Carter."
"I think I sprained something" Nick whined.
"You'll live, serves you right for barging in here and waking me up" Natalie countered with a laugh.
"Alright for almost killing me, you owe me a favour."
"And what would that be?" Natalie asked, bringing herself up onto her elbows, becoming full aware of her dishevelled appearance from having just woken up.
"Alright" Nick said happily. "Sarah was suppose to drive me to the airport, but she got called for a casting and it's with some model she absolutely worships, so I was quickly forgotten. Nobody has the time to come and get me, and I'd call a cab but...well I don't like them plain and simple, so that leaves you, my caring loving room mate." Nick inserted a puppy-dog face and smiled leaving Natalie unable to turn him down.
"If you ever lose your voice, you'd have a great career ahead of you as a butt-kisser" Natalie remarked with a laugh.
"Thanks" Nick said distractedly. "Now get up, I'm gonna be late."
"One itty bitty problem" Natalie said, stopping Nick in his tracks, who was already halfway out the door.
"What?" Nick asked suspiciously.
"My car is not behaving, so I don't think it'll go all the way to the airport" she explained, waiting for an exasperated outburst from Nick.
Nick stood on the spot, looking deep in thought, before taking a deep breath and talking hesitantly. "Take..my..car" he mumbled with an apprehensive expression. He looked pained to have uttered the words, as he saw Natalie smile devilishly.
"The Corvette! I get to take your baby? You're letting me take your car? For real? Are you serious" Natalie exclaimed, suddenly jumping out of bed excitedly.
"I'm letting you borrow it" Nick corrected, wondering if he had made the right decision.
"Who cares? I get to drive it" Natalie shrieked, quickly gathering her clothes to get ready, leaving Nick with a look of pure terror on his face.
"Please help my baby to stay in one piece" Nick begged, dropping down onto his knees, as he heard Natalie trip on something in the hallway and give a giggled 'oops'. He prayed even harder. "Puh-lease."
**************
"Hand em over" Natalie ordered, sticking her hand out and looking impatiently at Nick. He looked down apprehensively before dropping his keys into Natalie's hand. "Thankyou."
Natalie jumped into the driver's seat and rubbed her hands eagerly, as Nick finished loading his suitcase and bags into the car. He jumped into the passenger seat, and let out a deep breath. "Maybe you can take the truck?"
"Oh no. You said Corvette and I'm driving this. Who knows when you'll let me touch it again" Natalie argued, as she stuck the key in the ignition and let the engine run, much to Nick's dismay. Nick sat back with his eyes closed, and cringed as Natalie squealed out of the driveway.
**************
Nick quickly jumped out of his car and kissed it repeatedly, surveying it for any damage Natalie may have inflicted. "You're safe, you're safe" he kept chanting to himself, as he tried to hug the Corvette.
"I don't think I was that bad" Natalie remarked as she leaned against the car.
"Compared to what?!" Nick exclaimed. "Someone with a broken leg?!" Nick was panting, almost to the point of hyperventilation, as his cheeks begna to turn a bright red. Natalie jumped to his sied, and patted Nick, trying hard to bite back a laugh.
"Alright, breathe Nick, breathe" Natalie soothed as she also exhaled with Nick. "You're gonna pass out and miss your plane."
"Okay" Nick breathed. "I'm fine, I'm okay. My car's gonna be okay, everything's gonna be okay."
"That's the way" Natalie smiled. "Jeez I've never met someone so protective of their car."
"Well it's kinda on the expensive side, Nat" Nick said through clenched teeth. He unloaded his suitcase and bags from the car and followed Natalie to the terminal, but not before giving the car one last lingering look. He watched Natalie wave to the other guys as soon as she spotted them and followed a little unsteadily.
"Morning guys" Natalie greeted cheerily.
"Hey Nat..jeez what happened to you" Brian said as he looked pass Natalie and saw Nick looking red-faced and very tense.
"I drove his car" Natalie supplied, looking back at Nick with a roll of her eyes.
"He actually let you touch it. We're talking the Corvette" Kevin said a little surprised.
"What is the big deal about the car? You'd think it was solid gold or something" Natalie piped up.
"That car is his pride and joy. Other people have kids, Nick has his Corvette" Howie explained, giving Nick a concerned glance.
"Frack are you okay? You look a bit flustered" Brian said, kneeling in front of Nick to get a closer look at him.
"I keep seeing glass and metal in places where they're not supposed to be Bri, my car can't handle her" Nick responded, looking disoriented and petrified as he looked over at Natalie.
"Don't worry Nick, it'll be fine. Trust me, your car will still be here when you get back" Natalie assured, as she joined Brian in his kneeling position.
"Maybe you should leave it here? I'll drive it home when I get back" Nick said his eyes lighting up.
"And how do you suppose I get home? Walk? Maybe if I'm lucky I'll make it home before you do" Natalie said sarcastically.
"I can live with that" Nick remarked.
"NICK!" Brian, AJ, Kevin and Howie exclaimed.
"Alright, alright. Sorry Nat, you can take the car. Just don't do the weaving in and out of cars, and the sudden braking and..."
"Got it Nick, don't worry" Natalie interrupted.
**************
Natalie was sitting with Brian, as the other guys went to grab some lunch. She looked at Nick's bags and sighed, knowing the house would be lonely but tidy without him. "So are you looking forward to having the house on your own?"
"I'm looking forward to not tripping over sneakers for a whole month" Natalie laughed.
"Meanwhile we'll have to live with that kind of stuff for a month ourselves" Brian commented with a grin.
"I think it's only fair we share the hazards of living with Nick. I think I'll have a nervous breakdown if I find one more basketball in the hallway for me to kill myself on" Natalie said, returning Brian's infectious smile.
"So how are things between you and Nick?"
Natalie looked puzzled as to why Brian was asking such a question. "Great, except for the whole car issue."
"Don't worry about him. I think he must trust you alot if he lets you drive the car. His last girlfriend wasn't even allowed to back it out of the driveway" Brian remarked.
Natalie gave a huge grin after hearing Brian's comment. "Really?"
"Sure, you two seem to get along so well. Apart from Sarah, he seems to like being with you the most out of all his girl friends" Brian replied.
"Girlfriends?"
"Well you know what I mean."
"Yeah I get ya Brian" Natalie grinned.
**************
"Okay peoples, time to get on the plane" a member of the guys' management announced as she headed for the boarding gate.
Everybody had already taken charge of their belongings, including Nick who had already stuffed his earphones in his ears and was fumbling around his backpack for his boarding pass.
Natalie felt a small lump in her throat and swallowed hard to try and avoid showing any emotion in front of Nick and everybody else. She got up and was quickly hugged by AJ, and kissed on the cheek by Kevin, Howie and Brian. She left Nick till last, as he was concentrating hard at something in the distance. Natalie tapped him on the shoulder, bringing him out of his trance and gave a small grin.
"Well I'll be seeing you. Behave yourself okay?"
"What do I have to save?" Nick asked loudly. Natalie took the earphones out of his ears. "I told you to behave you dork" she laughed.
"Oh yeah I will. You underestimate me sometimes Nat" Nick smiled.
"That's cause I have to compensate for the fact you over estimate yourself" Natalie returned with a grin.
"Don't totall ruin the house okay" Nick said.
"Um you're the one leaving remember, not me. The house will be fine Nick."
"Okay..um" Nick said as he looked distractedly over to the boarding gate, leaving Natalie to wonder what he was looking for.
"Nick, hurry up. I don't want to run after the plane on the runway" Brian called over his back.
"Well come on, say goodbye so I can take your car for a joy ride" Natalie teased.
"Do anything to it and I'll run you over myself" Nick laughed.
"Don't stress you might hyperventilate again."
"Yeah, yeah" Nick grinned. "Alright Nat, look after yourself."
Natalie was caught by surprise as Nick enveloped her in a hug and planted a kiss on her cheek before turning to leave. She watched Nick wave and walk away, still feeling the tingle form being so close to him. He disappeared with Brian, leaving Natalie to stand and gawk at the gate, missing him already.
Chapter Twelve
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