A/N: Updated on July 1, 2016. Hoping I added better detail and fixed my errors.
"Mia! Slow down!" Anastasia begged as she stumbled in the door of the Grey residence with a drunk Mia. Anastasia stopped for a moment to lift Mia's arm to her shoulders and wrap her arm around her friend's waist.
"I DON'T WANT TO COME HOME! YOU'RE NO FUN! I WANNA PARTY WITH MY FUN FRIENDS!" Mia complained loudly, throwing her Louboutin's across the kitchen, the noise making Anastasia wince.
"Hush! Do you want to wake the whole house? And let me remind you that those friends you call fun left you lying in the middle of the dancefloor while they had fun somewhere else!" Anastasia admonished while she flipped on the kitchen light.
As they made their way into the hall, they were welcomed by Mia's parents and her two brothers, who were all standing in the sitting room with wine glasses in their hands.
"Um…hello…" Anastasia blushed crimson.
"Ana!" Elliot exclaimed, grinning from his spot next to his brother.
"Ugh! I feel terrible!" Mia complained. It was like slow motion: Mia let go of Anastasia's shoulder's and bent over, grabbing her stomach. Anastastia's eyes widened and she looked to her right and found a crystal candy dish sitting on the hallway table. She dumped it and pushed it into Mia's hands and it ended up catching most of the sick.
Anastasia winced as she saw the expensive dish fill with regurgitated cocktail, but hurried to hold Mia's dark hair away from her face.
"Uh…Mia…let's get you upstairs…" Anastasia mentioned, steering her and the bowl she still had clasped in her hands towards the stairs.
The family stared wide eyed at the mess in the hall, bewildered at what had just happened with the two twenty-two year olds.
"Yea…about that, don't worry! I'll be back down to clean it up in a few!" Anastasia said, looking back over her shoulder at the family as she started up the stairs with Mia.
"You're such a good friend! Where's Sean? He wouldn't even answer his phone! I want my Seany!" Mia whined.
"Yes…well, he's an ass." Anastasia answered as they made their way to the top of the stairs.
"Men are asses. Maybe I should just stick with girls! Come here..." Mia said moving her head close to Anastasia's face.
"No, no! That won't be necessary!" Anastasia put a hand between their faces.
"Don't you love me Annie-Banany?" Mia pouted.
"Of course I do! Just not in that way."
"But don't you think I'm pretty?"
Anastasia sighed. "Of course I do…look, you're drunk! I would never want to take advantage of you."
"Oh! Ana! You're such a good friend." Mia squeezed Anastasia to her.
"Yea…now let's get you changed and into bed." Anastasia told her as they stopped in front of her room.
Fifteen minutes later, Anastasia came out of Mia's bedroom with the clean candy dish that she emptied into the toilet and washed in the bathroom sink. She headed down the stairs to clean up the mess, only to see one of Mia's brothers holding a hand towel and the once trashed hall was clean again.
"Oh…well, thank you! You didn't have to do that. I would have gotten it." Anastasia said as she placed the bowl back on the table.
She was met by hard gray eyes and a beautiful face. Anastasia knew his name was Christian, but he usually kept to himself when she was around.
He cocked his head to the left slightly and narrowed his eyes, as if he was trying to read her. "You've taken great care of Mia tonight. It's nice to know she has at least one friend who cares about her well being."
Anastasia was taken aback by the comment. She wasn't even sure if she'd ever even heard him speak before. She felt herself blush at the compliment. "Oh…well, thank you."
Christian's eyes kept scanning her face, still seeming to try to look for something in it. It made Anastasia feel quite anxious.
"Well, I just came down here to get Mia some water and ibuprofen for the morning and then I'll call myself a taxi and be on my way." Anastasia announced, looking for a reason to walk away from Mia's mysterious brother.
She went back into the kitchen and filled a glass before opening the cabinet and pulling out the medicine container.
"You know the kitchen well…" Anastasia jumped at his voice. "I didn't mean to startle you…"
Anastasia took a deep breath to calm her heartrate. She didn't understand why he couldn't just leave her be. She had never been comfortable being alone with men and he was following her around like a lost puppy. "I've done this before, unfortunately. Usually her parents are asleep." Anastasia shook her head as she placed the container back in the cabinet. "I feel responsible…I promised myself I'd watch her, but the others kept slipping her drinks. Especially that Sean…he always..." She shook her head again and leaned up against the counter. "Sorry…I shouldn't speak ill of others…anyway, I better get this up to her and make sure she has a trashcan." She pushed off the counter and grabbed the glass and the pills.
She was at the hall when he spoke again. "You don't have a vehicle?"
She turned her head to look at him and saw him giving her another curious look. She found it quite odd that he was making such an effort to read her.
"Not here. I drove Mia's car back." She gave him a polite smile and continued toward the stairs. She was halfway up when she heard him again.
"Taxi's aren't safe. I'll take you home."
Anastasia's eyes widened. "I…um…that's alright. I'm sure I'll be fine." She looked over the banister to look down at him.
His jaw clenched. "Don't be silly. I'll take you home. You made sure my sister was safe. It's the least I could do to do the same for you."
Anastasia stared him down, but he didn't back down, so she resigned and gave him a small smile. "Alright. Thank you."
She saw Christian's lip twitch upward. "You're very welcome Miss…?"
"Steele. Anastasia Steele." She really hoped she didn't just make a huge mistake.
He gave her a nod. "Anastasia Steele." He said, testing her name on his tongue. "Christian Grey."
Her grin widened. "I'll be down in a moment Mr. Grey."
She saw amusement dance in his gray eyes. "I'll be here, Miss Steele."
A few minutes later, Anastasia backed out of Mia's room. "Don't forget to use your trash can!" She started to close the door.
"Annie Banany! Stay!"
"Goodnight Mia!" Anastasia said as she closed the door and leaned her forehead against it. She loved Mia...but sometimes that girl could be too much.
Anastasia headed back down the stairs, suddenly feeling exhausted. Her feet were killing her, her bra was cutting into her side and she just wanted a nice, hot bath. She found Christian leaning up against the counter in the kitchen, checking emails on his blackberry.
She felt her breath hitch in her throat...and for once it wasn't her worry that fueled it, but butterflies deep in her stomach. This was the first time she got a good look at him and she realized he was quite handsome…beautiful even. Not just his face, but his whole body. Her body's reaction startled her; she'd never had this reaction to a man before. He looked up from his blackberry and gave her a small smile.
"Ready?" He asked.
She nodded. "Yes." She internally winced at how breathy her voice was.
He stood and waved towards the door. "After you, Miss Steele."
Once outside, Christian placed his hand on the small of her back to lead her to his car. Anastasia immediately went rigid and gasped at the contact; she usually didn't allow men so close to her. Sensing her unease, Christian dropped his hand and he visibly saw her relax.
He went to the passenger-side door and opened it for her. "Miss Steele."
She gave him a polite smile. "Mr. Grey. Thank you."
After he shut the door, she watched him walk around the car while she put her seatbelt on. She felt her heart pounding in her chest. She never allowed herself to be alone with straight men; something deeply rooted in her past kept her from doing such things. Men were trouble…but there was something about him that made her feel safe. In the few times she saw him around Mia, she saw how good he was with her and how much of a soft spot he had for her. He had seen Anastasia taking care of his baby sister and appreciated it; maybe that's why Anastasia felt safe to be brought home. He wouldn't hurt someone so close to his sister. She quickly admonished herself for thinking that way. After all of these years of keeping her guard up, why should she let it drop just because of some ridiculous fluttering in her stomach?
As he slipped into his spot, rather gracefully Anastasia noticed, he asked her if she was buckled up tight while the R8 purred to life.
"Yes, Sir." Anastasia answered. She heard Christian inhale sharply and thought it was odd, but she decided to ignore it. "This is an incredible car."
He gave her a large grin as he backed out of the driveway. "I know."
She couldn't help, but giggle at his reaction. It was nice to see him so carefree for a moment, when he usually looked so hard.
"You have a lovely laugh, Anastasia."
Her cheeks flushed. "Thank you."
He turned his head to study her at the red light.
"What?" She asked, worried something was wrong with her face.
"You are one interesting creature, Miss Steele."
"Am I?" Her eyebrows furrowed.
Christian gave her a nod. "You are the only woman who has ever denied my brother's advances as well as the only friend dedicated to my overly flamboyant sister."
"Well, she's a lovely girl. So much energy….it's nice. She's like the sun. It makes people gravitate toward her; I just want to soak up all her happy rays." Anastasia explained, grinning at the thought.
"And my brother?"
"Well…he's…he's Elliot." Anastasia shrugged.
Christian gave a chuckle, surprising her again. "That he is…what I want to know, Anastasia, is how you can have such big heart, and yet, the biggest playboy on the planet doesn't make your heart melt. I've had to listen to him complain for months now."
She sighed. "It's…well, he's a man." She looked down at her fingers and missed Christian's frown.
"Oh…so you're attracted to women?"
Anastasia shook her head. "No. I'm very much attracted to the male form…"
"But?"
"But...Elliot's Elliot. He scares me."
Christian's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Oh?"
"Most men scare me." She admitted.
"I see. May I ask why?"
"Don't take this the wrong way, but why are you so interested?" Anastasia asked, a bit confused.
"Like I said, you are an interesting creature, Miss Steele. I just want to understand you better." He looked at her quickly before looking back toward the road.
Anastasia worried her lip for a moment, while she looked at her fingers, thinking. When she released it from her teeth, she heard Christian exhale sharply and she looked up to see him staring at her.
She shook her head. "I don't know why I'm telling you this…but, a long time ago, I had a bad experience with a man who took advantage of the fact I was small and…he did things against my will. Ever since then, I try to stay away from men."
Christian's brows furrowed and he looked at her with sad eyes. "I'm so sorry Anastasia." He reached over and squeezed her hand. Her whole arm erupted in goosebumps, confusing her. His hand was warm, big, and a little rough in her small cold one. Men's touch usually had her shrinking away, but his felt comforting. She resisted the urge to put her other hand over his.
"It was a long time ago…and he's in jail now." Anastasia said.
"Did you know him well?" Christian asked, leaving his hand in hers.
She looked down and tried to not think too much about it. "Yes. He was my father."
Christian gasped and clenched his jaw. He squeezed her hand tighter. "And you aren't scared of me?"
She sat for a moment, staring at their hands. "I guess not."
"Why?"
She looked up at him and felt her heart lurch. "Should I be?"
"No, Anastasia. I only take willing women to bed." Christian said, seriously. "Answer my question Anastasia. Why did you get in the car with me? I'm practically a stranger."
"I think it's because you love Mia so much…I've only seen you two together a handful of times…but I can see how fond you are of her. I can't see you hurting someone so close to her. By hurting me, you're hurting Mia." She tried to explain, but she was starting to get a little anxious to get home and out of the car now that he had her doubting her decision.
He sighed and seemed to relax a bit.
Before she could stop herself, she felt her mouth continue on its own accord. "You're mysterious Christian, but not scary." She ignored his grin and looked out the window to see them pulling up at her driveway.
Her forehead wrinkled. "How did you know where I lived?"
He released her hand and put the car in park. "Elliot."
She rolled her eyes. "Lovely." She released her seatbelt and grabbed the handle. "Thank you for the ride Mr. Grey. It was…interesting."
He gave her an amused look. "My pleasure, Miss Steele." He unbuckled his seatbelt. "Let me walk you to the door."
"NO!" Anastasia yelled. "Sorry…no, thank you. I'd feel safer going myself."
Christian furrowed his brow, not liking the thought of why she didn't want him going to the door with her, but let her go. He gripped her hand one last time. "Alright, Anastasia. Sleep tight. You look exhausted."
She smiled and squeezed his hand back. "Thank you. You too, Mr. Grey." He released her hand and watched her walk to the door. When she had it open he pulled out.
Sean, Mia's boyfriend, came stumbling out of the open door.
"Sean! What are you doing here? How'd you get in?" Anastasia asked, stepping back a few feet onto the walkway.
"Where's Mia? I thought she was with you!" Sean's voice was a bit loud and slurred.
"She's at home sleeping….where you should be." Anastasia told him.
He grabbed her by the waist. "That's unfortunate…I was promised I'd get some tonight…" He buried his head into her neck and took a deep breath. "You smell good."
She grimaced and tried to push him away. "Sean, go home! You're drunk."
He pulled her to him and kissed her hard. She pressed her lips in a thin line and pulled away. "Sean, stop. Don't be stupid! Go home." She tried pushing him away.
He brought his hand up and smacked her before shoving her into the grass. "Don't call me stupid!"
Anastasia's heart was beating a mile a minute and her brain was screaming 'RUN'. Sean dropped to his knees and she used her arms and legs to crabwalk backwards, trying to get away from him. She couldn't help but think how quickly this escalated. Sean must be drunker than she had anticipated.
He reached out and grabbed one of her legs, pulling her toward him. She squeaked and tried grabbing onto the ground to stop him. Once he was straddling her legs he doubled his fist and she put her hands up, turning her head, his fist making contact above her temple.
"Keep still, you little bitch!"
She felt his weight being yanked off of her and looked up to see Christian throwing Sean to the ground. She got up as fast as she could and pulled her dress back down. She watched Christian punch Sean twice before standing and kicking him three times in the stomach.
"Don't you dare think about coming anywhere near Anastasia or Mia again! Do you understand me?" Christian yelled. When Sean did nothing, but groan Christian kicked him again. "Answer me you son of a bitch!"
"Yes!" Sean yelled from the ground.
Christian ripped him off the ground by his collar. "I swear to God, if you touch either one of them I'll kill you. Get out of here." He threw him back down on the ground.
Sean hurried and stood up, doubled over and holding his stomach as he stumbled toward the street. Anastasia backed away from him, in case he lunged, and watched him leave.
"Hey…" Christian was instantly at her side. "Are you okay?"
She blinked up at him, trying to get her bearings.
Christian sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "What am I saying? Of course you're not okay. Come, let's get you cleaned up." He offered his hand to her and she found herself taking it immediately. She wanted the comfort of his large, warm hand in hers again.
He led her inside and into the kitchen. "Hop up." He said, patting the counter.
She cocked an eyebrow at him.
"Anastasia. Do as I say." Her eyes widened at his bossy tone, but she decided she best do what he said. He did just save her, after all.
"Good girl." He told her while he went to the freezer. He pulled out the ice tray and grabbed the kitchen towel hanging on the stove handle on his way back over. He deposited multiple ice cubes in the center of the dishtowel before enclosing them and twisting the edges together.
He picked it up and placed it above her temple, where a bump was starting to form, and held it there. She hissed as it made contact with her sore head.
"Thank you."
Christian studied her face for a minute. "Hold this." He told her, referring to the ice. She took it from him and held it to her head while he went to the sink.
"I was pulling away when I saw Sean come bursting out of the door and I decided I needed to circle the block make sure you were okay." Christian explained, walking back with a wet paper towel in his hand.
"I'm glad you did."
A frown tugged at Christians lips. "Me too."
He looked at her lip and placed the wet paper towel on it, making her wince. "You've got a bloody lip." He shook his head as he cleaned her up. "What a bastard…where is your medicine cabinet?"
"That corner cabinet there." Anastasia said, looking to the right.
He nodded and stepped away from her. "You're going to need some pain reliever for that head." He threw the paper towel in the trash and rummaged through the cabinet before bringing her two capsules and filling a cup up that sat on the drying rack of water.
Anastasia began to set her ice down, when Christian admonished her. "Leave it! The swelling will go down."
"My shoes are killing me. I just need a minute."
"Keep it on the bump. Let me." Christian reached down and unbuckled each high heel and slid them off her feet before setting them down next to the cabinet.
Anastasia rolled her ankles. "Thank you."
"You're quite welcome Miss Steele. Here…now take these." He said, handing her the Advil. Once she put them in her mouth, he handed her the glass of water.
She giggled as she set it down, making Christian cock his head. "I was just thinking that I just did this to Mia…now I know how she feels. The next thing I know, you'll be dressing me for bed." Anastasia teased.
Christian cocked and eyebrow and smirked. "If that's what you wish, Anastasia…I've already started on your shoes."
She snorted. "No, thank you. I think I can dress myself, Mr. Grey."
He grinned and grabbed her hand that had the ice, lifting it slightly and taking a peek at the bump.
"Swelling isn't too bad, but it'll bruise." He took the towel from her and emptied it in the sink. "It's late. You need rest, Anastasia."
She slipped off the counter. "Thank you again, Christian. If you weren't here…" Her voice faded and she looked down, shaking her head.
He took a step toward her and lifted her chin with two fingers. "Hey…don't you worry about what might have been. I was here…that's all that matters."