InsaneJournal

The Mystery of Salt and Sea
Who: Nathaniel and Juliet
What: Nathaniel decides to help Juliet get rid of her fear of water.
Where: The pool at Pax.
When: Early Saturday morning.
Warnings: TBD
Notes: Gdoc Holder DONE!

Nathaniel had carefully considered what to wear for this little session of his. It was completely against the rules. Well, almost. There had been doctors who have in the past offered out patient care. Ones that have gone and helped their patients get past a phobia by approaching the phobia head on in another location. And it wasn’t like Nathaniel could bring a pool to his office... so it was convenient that they met at the pool which was located at the apartment complex they both lived in. Right.

Still, he didn’t want to appear too excited to see his beautiful patient in a bathing suit and he didn’t want to appear too unprofessional. Really, this was close to being unprofessional as it was, and he didn’t want to push his luck. So on the bright sunny Saturday morning, at the appointed time Nathaniel had scheduled with Juliet, Nathaniel waited at the pool in swimming trunks and a t-shirt.

He hoped she would show up but realized he might have to go retrieve her himself. That would be awkward though, arriving at her apartment, but then again they were neighbors... would it be so strange?

Her mind had been racing all week, the constant nagging in the back even as she occupied herself with work and school. The idea that all of this was happening quickly had struck her not long after walking out of their initial meeting - she barely knew this doctor, and it was still perfectly within her right to not agree to this sort of treatment.

But Juliet had to admit that the man had a point, that simply sitting in his office, discussing the issue would only serve to sooth her parents in believing that she was receiving help. That Dr. Dewhurst...Nathaniel...had suggested a different route showed that he was truly interested in helping her relieve herself of these nightmares, once and for all.

So she had found time in her busy schedule to stop by a department store, locating and purchasing a tasteful, black one-piece suit, along with a sarong to cover her legs, also black. Such items had never found their way into her wardrobe, for she’d had no need of them. Juliet carefully removed the tags and saved the receipt, just in case - the thought that she wouldn’t be able to handle this sort of treatment was a huge bullet point in her mind, and just having the swimsuit in her apartment caused unnecessary anxiety.

Still, on Saturday she donned the garments and tied her hair up into a ponytail as seemed befitting. The expanse of white skin that she was showing made her feel exposed, as well as causing her to look far paler than she really was, or perhaps was willing to admit. Regardless, she toed flip-flops on and, terry-cloth towel in hand, made her way down to the pool. Juliet knew of its location, she’d passed it far too many times coming and going from the building, but had never approached the wrought iron fence that surrounded it.

Unconsciously holding her breath, she moved toward the unwanted location slowly; the form of Nathaniel waiting by the pool’s edge gave her a little confidence and she raised a hand to waggle fingers in polite greeting, but then her eyes were locked onto the body of water that seemed to be lying in wait like some predator.

She froze on the other side of the fence, unwilling to come any closer.

“Ms. Blackwater,” Nathaniel said clearly as he got to his feet. He looked at her, registering her fear, and gave a little nod. Walking to the entrance way he smiled kindly at Juliet and paused at her side. “I’m so happy that you’ve come. Thank you for meeting me here today. Just think, the sooner we do this, the sooner it is over.” He presented his arm to her, which seemed somewhat awkward in the clothes they wore, or lack there of. With his bare arm waiting he realized how odd it was that he was seeing a patient in anything other than a suit.

“Now, we can take this slowly, but I will push you a little. But as I said before, I promise not to allow anything to happen to you. You will be safe in my care.” His said this quietly, as if sharing a secret although no one else was at the pool, and lowered his face slightly to look more directly at her. “It will be okay.”

The formality pulled her away from the pool for a moment, instead focusing on him. A tiny smile blossomed on her face, contrasting the lines that fear was still etching around her eyes.

“Please, call me Juliet,” she reminded him, carefully taking his arm; the action gave permission, or at least enough to allow him to guide her into the pool area. It still was no promise that she would enter the pool at all. “I’m still very unsure that this is a good idea.”

“Juliet,” he repeated with a nod as he slowly began to move them both towards the pool. He continued to speak but made his voice louder, more distracting for the woman at his side. “I’m sure you will continue to feel this isn’t a good idea up until we get you past this phobia. But it will be baby steps and you will be all right.”

He stopped walking, smiling at Juliet and then glancing at their feet where he had brought her to the pool edge. “I can go into the water first, all right?”

She pulled back as they edged nearer to the water, and quickly she used her towel as an excuse to remove herself from the uncomfortable situation. Letting go of his arm, she moved to place the towel on a nearby lounge chair, then crossed her arms protectively over her chest. Her head gave a brief nod, though she was now a little over five feet away from the edge of the pool.

“All...all right.”

“Come stand at the edge first, that’s all I want you to do,” Nathaniel said quietly, presenting his hand for her to take. “You don’t have to step into the pool yet. Just stand where I’m standing, by the steps, for when I get in. Come, Juliet, it’ll be fine.”

Something about this was strikingly familiar to Nathaniel but he couldn’t pinpoint why. Whatever it was seemed vague and dreamlike. Though his tone was neutral, Juliet was suddenly recalling hearing a much more strained, irritated voice, something that was commanding her to do something. Almost instantly her limbs propelled her forward, coming to stand at his side and taking his fingers with a little frightened hesitation. Then she seemed to snap back into herself, releasing the tight grip she held on his hand.

It took some concentration, but she forced herself to remain by his side, her eyes trapped by the sight of the gently lapping water below her feet. Her mouth quivered, body shivering in fright.

Nathaniel frowned, the feeling of excitement that coursed through his body as she moved forward, listening to what he had said, was unexpected and strange. But she was at the waters edge which was good. It was a step. And the quiver in her body made him want to hold her and protect her. Suddenly, he wasn’t so sure he wanted to force her into the water, yet he felt he had to.

“All right, Juliet, I’m going to step in now and I’ll hold your hand. I don’t want you running off right now.” He took her hand gently, not entwining fingers together but simply holding it as he took one slow step down onto the stairway into the shallow end of the pool. The water there was warm already from collecting the heat of the sun, but he was happy to feel it around his feet and fought a childish impulse to just jump in.

Both feet onto the first step he turned to stand in front of Juliet. He was a few inches shorter now while standing on the step and nearly eye level with her. “See? I’m still here.”

His comment made her eyes snap to him for a moment, a severe pout curving her lips. “Y-you’re st-st-standing in a f-f-few in-inches of wa-wa-water, pl-pl-please do n-n-not treat mmme like a ch-ch-child.” Even in her irritation she continued to be polite, instead resolving to keep her eyes focused on him rather than the water. That, at least, offered a little assurance, and she already knew that her eyes enjoyed lingering on his finely chiseled features. She tightened the clasp she had on his hand, perhaps squeezing too hard as she fought between the desire to stare at the water and the urge to run.

A smirk appeared on his face and he lowered his eyes for a moment as he suppressed a laugh. “All right then, you’ll have no issue taking a step into the water with me, yes? I’m only in a few inches of water.” He took another step down, dropping lower in height and looking up at her, still holding her hand and making no visual sign of distress from her panic-induced iron grip. “Come, take a step forward. We’ll only work on getting you to the bottom of the steps today unless you’re willing to go further.”

The pout remained steadfast, and her knees, though feeling weak, seemed to have locked. She bent as though to lift a leg and step forward, but they refused to move.

“This is an absolutely ridiculous...” She cut the remark off abruptly, realizing how silly she herself sounded, and closed her eyes to take a deep breath. Keeping her eyes closed seemed to help, and carefully she lifted one leg a bare inch, her toes seeking out the ground in front of her until they reached the edge of the pool that became water. Then dipped, staying aloft for a moment before descending and hitting the top of the first step. Warm water lapped around her ankle, but her eyes remained closed, and her grip on his hand provided a comforting guide.

Her other foot followed, in the same slow, inching manner as though she were forcing independent nations of her body to react as one smooth instrument. After a long five minutes, she was standing on the top of the step, her eyes screwed tightly shut while her heartbeat began to triple.

“Juliet,” Nathaniel whispered. “Juliet, open your eyes. You did it.” He wasn’t teasing or trying to appear rude. He simply wanted her to see where she was and that she was fine. He hadn’t budged from the second step and they were a breath away from one another as he looked up at her tightly closed eyes. “Open your eyes and get used to this step.” He was proud of her but tried not to sound so obviously so. This was a long and delicate thing for them to go through. Anything could turn her off from progressing more and he was eager to take care of her but not enough to push her from this.

Eyes slowly unwound from the darkness to bring Nathaniel’s face into her vision. His beaming expression and smile made her heart skip a beat (if that were possible with the rabbit-fast pace it was going at). Then she glanced down, lifting her feet a little as though she were standing on a hot surface.

“One step down,” she replied, trying to sound cheeky but failing. The tasseled ends of her sarong brushed the top of the water, soaking and weighing down the garment.

“Exactly, one step down,” Nathaniel said quietly, his smile vanishing but his eyes still sparkling. “Do you think you can get to the second step? How are you feeling?” The spark disappeared from his eyes as well and he grew serious, concerned of Juliet in a less than doctorly way. With ease, he took another step down, still holding her hand but making a space between them.

The pout moved to a frown at the increased distance between them, but he didn’t remove his hand from her grasp.

“Scared, of course,” she responded, well used to the tried-and-true doctor’s method of ‘and how does this make you feel’, which increased her irritation. She didn’t mean to snap, it simply popped out of her mouth. Juliet took a breath, trying to calm her racing heart. “I...I can try th-the sec-second st-st-step.” Now she was truly pushing herself, though the water would only rise up to halfway along her calves. But the slow progression of water climbing higher sparked the feeling of it rising without her control, which in turn fueled her fear.

Slowly she started to reach down with her right foot, one eye open and peeking downward while the second was tightly screwed shut once more.

Nathaniel squeezed her hand tightly, making sure she felt his own strong grasp that was not willing to let go, not willing to let her grow more nervous than she already was. “You’re doing fantastic, Juliet, truly,” he said quietly. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and progress further but felt that would be more out of line than they already were.

He waited for her to close the distance between them and smiled when her foot came down to the step, looking directly into her closed eyes again. She had three steps to go before she would be able to put her foot onto the bottom of the pool. Whether or not they would make it that far was something Nathaniel wasn’t sure of. But he was glad she was willing to try. His accent made his voice sound smooth as he commented once more, “You made it to the second step.”

And the second followed the first, like she was learning to walk all over again. Though traction was scarce on the slick flooring of the pool, Juliet was beginning to feel a little less fear; the water wasn’t going to reach up and grab her, and she didn’t have to go any deeper than she liked. Her sarong was soaked at the bottom, clinging to her legs. As she opened her eyes, the tiniest of smiles graced her lips.

“I-I-I did, did-didn’t I?” She sounded amazed, as though she didn’t quite believe she’d be able to do something like this. “I-I-I thin-nk-nk I wi-wi-will try the thir-third step, t-t-too.”

“Wonderful,” Nathaniel replied happily, his shining smile appearing once more as he raised a hand, urging her not to move, then took another step down to the fourth step and giving distance between them once more. “You’re doing so wonderful, Juliet. Really, I’m so happy with your progress.” He smiled at her, his eyes not leaving hers, then steadied his feet and tightened his hold on her hand again. “Okay, when you’re ready.”

Juliet took a deep breath and went to move her foot - but this time, instead of a slow and steady progress to floor of the next step, which would bring the water to her knees, she slipped. Her body began to tilt forward, and her hands threw themselves up to stop this sudden and unwanted movement, a shriek growing from her throat into the open air.

He had prepared himself for this possibility but had not entirely expected it to happen, at least not this quickly. Nathaniel’s arms quickly reached out for Juliet, capturing her and holding her tightly as he stumbled from her falling weight. He himself did not fall, only stepping down to the fifth and final step to catch his balance. Still, he held her close to his chest, locking his arms around her and refusing to let her go. “Juliet, I have you, I told you I wouldn’t let anything happen,” He quickly began to whisper into her ear. Quick to try and capture what would surely be a panic attack. “I won’t let anything happen to you, you’re safe, completely safe.”

Hands grabbed his shoulders while her panicked eyes stared into the water that had previously been rushing up to greet her. Labored breaths wracked her chest and she started to push at Nathaniel, trying to release herself from his grip.

“I want to get out, please let me go, I can’t handle this!”

“Juliet,” His voice was stern now and raised, not angry, but clearly trying to be heard. “Don’t push. If you push out of my arms you’ll be in the water. Now hold still, I’ll help you out of the pool. You’re fine, darling.” He clamped his mouth shut, the pet name slipping through before he could even stop himself. She just appeared so frightened, so panicked, he only wanted to make her fear disappear but knew very well the alternative if she were to slip from his arms.

She tried to calm herself, though her heart rate was not so easily pacified. Instead of pushing she turned her hands to grip his shoulders, trying to let her feet find solid ground beneath her in the water. Her limbs trembled, not from fear of him but of the close encounter she had almost experienced.

“Al-all right,” she whispered in response, completely overlooking his lack of doctorly decorum. She settled in his arms, the strength in them calming her. “I-I-I thin-nk-nk I c-c-can w-w-walk.”

“Okay,” Nathaniel cooed and kept his arms tightly around her. Still, he shifted her so that she could face the steps and climb out of the pool. “One step at a time,” He commented quietly as he slowly lead her up each step, pausing on each one to make sure they both had their footing before taking the next step. Once they were out of the water he still kept his arms around her, liking the feeling that it gave him and forgetting that he was supposed to be professional. It was odd, it felt natural to have his arms around her but it also felt as if something was missing, as if he was lacking a certain closeness to her.

Still he walked with her towards the chair where her towel lay. Unwrapping his arms around her he retrieved the towel and shook it loose. Draping it around her shoulders he took a small step back and watched her carefully. “You made it to the fifth step in the pool, you realize.”

Cinching the towel snugly around her shoulders, Juliet took a moment to compose herself. She wasn’t even that wet, the water only ever reaching up to her waist at the highest point - Nathaniel’s strong arms had stopped her fall in its tracks, lifted and kept her safe until she was out of the water entirely. It wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate his efforts in helping her to overcome the phobia that had plagued her since childhood; but there was an inkling in the back of her mind that he was almost...forcing this of her. It was a conflicted feeling, that he was both punishing her and yet protecting her; these warring emotions produced a confused and worried expression on her face that was broken by his admission that she’d made it to the last step.

“Yes, by nearly falling in face first,” she replied, quiet and terse. Another thought struck her. “Do you call all of your patients ‘darling’? Is that another of your relaxed methods?”

Nathaniel gaped for a moment. Standing in his wet swim trunks a space apart from Juliet and quickly taking another step back, distancing himself from her even more. He let out a breath and looked embarrassed for a moment, trying to think of a way to explain the accidental slip up. “I apologize, Juliet.” He looked to the ground, his voice coming out a little shaky. He gave a shake of his head and frowned. “That was inappropriate of me and incredibly unprofessional. It... it must have slipped out. I didn’t want you to panic any more than you were. I’m sorry.” Darling, he added on to himself.

He licked at his bottom lip and frowned more before slowly peeking up at Juliet with his blue eyes.

Lips pursed in a frown, giving way to a pout, she found that she disliked the distance he imposed between them, even when she had demanded it through her words. A hand rose to her face to smooth back strands that had broken loose from her pony tail, taking a moment to compose and relax herself. Nathaniel watched as she made these movements, resisting the urge to brush back her hair himself.

“I apologize, that was...rude of me. I’m sure it was just an accident,” she followed up, feeling guilty for accusing him of any idea of foul play. Of course he only had the best of intentions toward her and her mental health; surely it had been said in the heat of the moment, completely unintentional. It didn’t go without saying that she had enjoyed hearing the pet name, that it had rung familiar in her mind, though no one in her life had ever called her by such a word. Her fingers kneaded the towel gently in anxiety.

“Also...thank you for catching me. I’m...not sure what happened. Maybe I got overexcited.” The pout turned into a frown once more, her eyes slipping back to the treacherous pool that obviously held nothing but malicious intent toward her.

The tension broke slightly and Nathaniel made a small smile. “You slipped, which is entirely common. Even the most experienced swimmers can have an off day and slip. You really did wonderfully, Juliet.” He lifted his face and looked directly at her now, sincerity in his eyes and the small smile still lingering on his lips. “Five steps into the pool, even if the fifth step was accidental, you still stood on that step for a moment before we climbed back out. Have you ever gone that far into a pool before?”

He let out a sigh, his smile disappearing and a moment of sadness crossed his face as he looked at Juliet. The overpowering need to touch her, protect her, and guide her was nearly too much. He didn’t want to admit it, but he was starting to think that being her doctor wasn’t the best of ideas. He wanted to help her. How could he if he took himself out of the equation?

Juliet shook her head in answer. “No - I’ve never been in a pool, at all. My parents usually had to bribe me to even get in the bathtub when I was younger, but I think once I got taller the tub seemed less...intimidating.” She looked back to her psychiatrist, a little surprised by the sudden sad look she found there. Was he thinking that he had failed in some regard? For a few minutes there she had really believed that there was nothing to fear from the water, that she could walk into it without any trepidation; and he was the one who had given her that feeling. Besides, it was only the first time they had done this, surely one couldn’t expect quick results in just one go!

“But you were enormously helpful. I just...need time to adjust,” she continued, trying to sound reassuring again, to her own doctor. If anything, she found herself wanting to please him, see his face light up again because of something she’d done correctly. Her mouth frowned at these thoughts, unsure where these emotions where coming from; but she fought off the expression, trying to adopt a smile in its place.

“Yes, you’re correct,” Nathaniel replied quietly, returning briefly to his doctorly persona. “It’s all a matter of baby steps. Adjusting to each new thing you experience. Just as we were with each step in the pool. You adjusted to one then went to the next. It may be a slow process but... honestly? I didn’t think I would be able to get you to take even the first step, let alone take three willingly. You have this in you, Juliet. You can conquer this phobia. You’re strong enough to.”

He tried to smile at her and was successful at it. However, the smile seemed softer and to be filled with a certain yearning. He was proud of her, immensely so, and he wanted very badly to embrace her, kiss her, display his joy at her progress. But that was it. That was the problem exactly: he was her doctor, not her boyfriend. He had an assortment of flings since breaking it off with Elinor but he had never been so taken by a woman as he was with Juliet. Not even with Elinor had he been so immediately attracted. It concerned him, especially seeing that it was so unprofessional, and he found it suddenly very hard to decide what was the proper way to handle this progress in her therapy.

The smile grew a little stronger, though a doubting voice in the back of her mind told her that words were just that, words, and that all too easily she would sink back into familiar patterns, allowing her phobia to take the reigns once more. But there was no reason to voice her apprehension, instead merely adjusting the towel to ensure that it covered her properly.

“Well, it is much easier, um, when I have such an...approachable doctor.” Her cheeks faintly colored, as though she’d spoken something much more unbecoming. She cleared her throat, trying to pull herself together, though her mind was still spinning both from her near fall and the sudden close proximity to Nathaniel’s body.

The smile Nathaniel gave Juliet now was completely genuine. He was happy to hear this, even more happy to see her blush, and for a moment too long he stared at Juliet. His blue eyes looking over her reddened cheeks and her pale skin. Then he caught himself again and distanced himself. Try to be professional.

“Good, good,” Nathaniel replied. “I’m glad you find me approachable. You know... if you shall ever need anything, seeing that we’re neighbors, please... please don’t hesitate. Outside of this we’re neighbors.” His hand moved out, referring to the pool area and coming dangerously close to touching Juliet, but then he hung back.

The stare only served to increase her blush rather than dim it, and Juliet quickly moved the conversation along since things were headed in a completely inappropriate direction (as though they weren’t there already, as they both stood next to a pool in their swim clothes).

“Thank...you. I think it would be best, um, if our next session was at your office? Just...to break up the...um, water sessions,” she finished clumsily, trying to bring them both back on task. The thought of the water certainly helped her fright to rear its head again, which killed the coloring in her face; her eyes ached to stare at the water again, to watch it carefully in order to ensure her safety, but instead she focused on Nathaniel - which may or may not have been the better option, since he was just as great of a source for antagonism, though it was of a completely different nature.

Pressing his lips together, Nathaniel gave one slow nod. “Yes, I was going to suggest that as well. We don’t want to overdo this. You’ve done a wonderful job and have progressed so well but you deserve breaks. It’s also better for your mental state.

“Once you have an opportunity to think over what has happened today we can discuss it. Does the same day and time work for you?” It looked odd for him to be appearing the doctor suddenly after he had looked at Juliet with increasing desire. It was even more odd considering he was standing in dripping swim trunks and hadn’t anything ob or about him to make him appear to be the psychologist he was. But already Nathaniel had the feeling that with Juliet it would never be quite normal.

“Yes, that would be fine...” Though the fallback into a professional demeanor had been her goal, Juliet found herself disliking it all the same. She made a mental note to call his secretary once she got back to her desk and leave a message for an appointment; though of course, since he was already here, they were already making the appointment, weren’t they? Juliet shifted in place, her bare feet warmed by the sunkissed ground. Keeping the towel wrapped around her less out of being wet and more out of a desire to cover herself, she cleared her throat to break the sudden quiet they’d stumbled into; and yet the lack of conversation wasn’t disarming or awkward. Instead it held a weight, keeping something from the two of them that, Juliet felt, was pertinent to both.

“Would you...mind terribly...um, helping me back to my apartment?” She almost regretted the words; first she was trying to remain proper, and now she was encouraging the inappropriate behavior. But she couldn’t deny that she would very much like to lay a hand on him again, or at least be closer than they were now.

Nathaniel blinked in surprise, grinned, then his face quickly turned to worry. “Of course I can, are you feeling alright?” He said quietly and stepped forward. He opened his arm to her, not sure if she wanted to take his hand or possibly have him lead her to the apartment with his arm around her. He would be fine with either but preferred the option that brought him closer to her. “Come Juliet, I don’t mind at all seeing that I am going to the same place.”

“No, no, I can walk...” She replied, though she took his arm all the same. For some reason that she couldn’t name, the feeling of knowing him was deep-set in her mind, as though he were someone she’d known all her life - longer, even. Someone that she had a profound trust in, a trust that was tainted by actions committed either on impulse or through some kind of malicious intent. Such thinking was incredibly confusing, so she washed it from her mind and instead concentrated on the strong muscles in his limb and the way he slowed to match her pace as they made their way along the sidewalk and back to the lobby, to ride the elevator to the eighth floor, the place that was all their own.

“So, Mr. Dewhurst...ah, Nathaniel...what do you do aside from saving young ladies from falling into swimming pools?” No one ever said that polite talk was off the table.

Taking a moment, Nathaniel considered Juliet’s question, a hand gently placed on hers which was wrapped around his arm. He ignored the fact that he was in wet swimming trunks and strolled along with a straight back, his head held high and his hands placed properly with Juliet’s. “Honestly? Well, my family was very interested in attending shows and I enjoy them myself. You know, actual shows. Not the bands and the likes, I believe Americans call them ‘shows’?

“Or is it just concerts?” He continued, as they reached the elevator doors. “None the less, I enjoy seeing plays, musicals, operas... whichever.” He laughed, appearing to have the slightest hint of shyness show through. He had learned in the past year that men did not typically enjoy such things in America. “I also enjoy reading and watching television shows. What of yourself, Juliet?”

Just as Nathaniel had finished, the doors dinged open and they stepped inside. “Shows is a word, concerts is usually the term though, especially if it’s musical.” She stepped forward, her arm still wrapped in his (never for a moment did it strike her that this was an odd picture they were forming) and tapped their floor button. “I enjoy those as well, along with everything else you’ve said,” she admitted, with a small laugh. “Though television not so much. There isn’t really anything on to watch. And between school, homework, my job and just trying to keep up with my own reading, I don’t have time really for it. And instead of concerts I try to visit as many plays as I can,” she added, feeling comfortable in talking about herself. The elevator rose quickly through the floors.

“What is it that you find so fascinating on television?”

“Oh, I love those cooking shows,” Nathaniel chirped. He seemed at ease, relaxed even, his position as her doctor had been left behind the moment Juliet asked to be helped to her apartment. “I never really had to cook while I was growing up nor after I moved out. I’ve been trying to learn to cook since I came to America. Everyone is so fascinated in big meals and there is so much available; I find it enjoyable.” He turned his eyes to Juliet then glanced away. “I also enjoy the reality television shows that are on the TV. They’re quite fascinating!”

“Reality television? You mean like...Survivor and Jersey Shore?” Her mouth quirked in amusement, finding the idea of someone assumed to be learned as a psychologist finding things like scripted, supposedly ‘real’ shows to be interesting. The elevator doors dinged open, and they stepped into the hallway, already near their apartment doors.

“Really, Nate...Nathaniel...see, that’s exactly why I don’t watch television!” She laughed, though less so at him rather than just amused at the thought of what was essentially his guilty pleasure.

“Oh I love Jersey Shore! The parties on the east coast look absolutely insane,” Nathaniel said with a laugh. His eyes slipped to Juliet again, he was having trouble keeping his eyes off of her, but now he had a nearly secret smile. “Nate, hm. I’ve always been called Nathaniel. Nate is something new...” With a brief lick of his lips he watched Juliet, wondering if this observance would make her feel awkward. Really, she had caught him calling her darling so was it so bad that she gave him a pet name?

She mentally admonished herself for the slip - first he was calling her things, and now she was developing nicknames of her own? But it was so easy to fall into a comfortable setting with him. Standing outside of her apartment door, she pulled her arm away in order to signal the end of their meeting. Still, she couldn’t wipe the smile from her face.

“It, ah...I apologize, that was...poor of me,” she quickly admitted, trying to stop the eventual coloring of her cheeks. Giving a light shrug with her shoulders, she put a hand on her doorknob to encourage both him and herself to move things along to other topics.

“Again, thank you. I will, um, see you next week,” she added, though this was cutting their conversation abruptly short. His voice, aside from the accent giving it a musical quality and his own wide vocabulary that caused his sentence structure to be utterly orgasmic to the ear (and now she really was blushing, her thoughts getting away from her), reminded her, again, of how familiar he seemed. Well, she wouldn’t have to worry for long, because they still had next week’s therapy session, not to mention the fact that they were next door neighbors.

“No need to apologize, dear,” Nathaniel replied smoothly. He stepped back and slipped his hand into his swim trunks to retrieve his apartment key. “You can call me Nate outside of the office if you’d like.” All of his teachings were screaming in his mind to stop, to prevent her from growing that sense of ease with him, it would further ruin the distance they had to maintain for her appointments but... Nathaniel didn’t care. Actually, his level of caring was quickly diminishing and he was developing a further need to grow closer to Juliet on a personal level. She was beautiful and seemed incredibly sweet but there was very much more to it. So much more. And Nathaniel still couldn’t quite place his finger on where this familiarity came from.

“Well, Juliet. I will see you later this week... or maybe I will pass you by in the hall. We shall see, won’t we?” He grinned at her as he took another step away, giving a nod of farewell.

“Yes, I suppose we will.” Giving him one last, parting smile, she looked away, feeling a little embarrassed by this whole endeavor, and finally turned the knob to enter her apartment. For reasons that were less than obscure, she couldn’t wait for her next therapy session.