Hi guys! This is the first fanfiction I've ever written, and I'm very excited about it. I love Madam Secretary and I obsess about it daily but I hardly know anyone on this site, so I'm very open to meeting all of you! I appreciate all feedback, positive or negative. I'm planning on continuing this story, so if you have any suggestions about where you think it should go or are wondering what I'm thinking, don't be shy! Enjoy! -C
*Buzzzz*Henry glanced up from the book he was currently enthralled with to check his phone. It was Elizabeth. "Held up at the White House tonight. So sorry," it read, "will make it up 2 u. Don't wait up. Xo" Henry sighed, and looked from the chair of the office over to the dining room table. The lights were dimmed, two places set, and candles burning. Placing the bookmark in his place and setting the book on the table beside him, Henry lifted himself up out of his chair and went to go blow out the candles. Another night, he thought to himself.
Stevie was out for the night, Alison had a soccer sleepover, and Jason was playing video games at a friend's house, so it was just Henry for dinner. He walked over to the fridge and looked at the steaks he bought, still in their wrapper. Thinking about all that wasted effort, he reached for the phone and ordered a pizza. He ate it at his desk and graded a few of his students' papers, before heading up the stairs to catch up on some sleep.
He opened the door to their bedroom, noticing with a frown his wife's clothes on the floor that she'd left in a frantic hurry to get into work this morning. He went into the bathroom, washed his face, and threw on a t-shirt and boxers. Pulling back the covers, he climbed into bed, leaning over to flick off the lamp beside him. He lay down, and tried to adjust. He rolled around a little, maneuvering the pillows and the blankets. But no matter how much he moved this way or that, his eyes remained wide open. The bed felt cold and empty without Elizabeth curled up beside him, just like it was the past few nights.
He had imagined perfectly how their date night was going to go. Elizabeth would walk in the door after a long and arduous day at work, set down her briefcase, and slip off her coat. She would walk into the house, expecting to find Henry reading at his desk like usual. Instead, he would watch the smile grow on her face when she turned the corner to see the lovely dinner he had made for her. Steak. It was her favorite. Smirking, but pleasantly surprised, she would walk towards him, and lean down to give him a quick peck on the lips. As she turned to sit down in her seat, he would grab her by the waist and pull her back to him. With his hand on the back of her head, he would lean in for a deeper kiss, happy to finally spend some time with his wife after her long week of solving global crises. After kissing her deeply for about a minute, she would pull away slightly to catch her breath, a smile gracing her lips as her eyes met his own. "Hey" he would say, softly, the first word he'd been able to muster all night. "Hi," she'd respond, slightly out of breath. Then she'd turn around and sit down across from him, just looking at him, breathing him in, relishing in her moment of relaxation.
Their dinner would last at least two hours, filled with them laughing, talking, sharing stories from each of their weeks. Henry would tell her about his new student, a recent Oxford graduate who with a degree in Politics and a minor in Middle Eastern Studies. He was sure her extremely bright mind would be a perfect fit for the War College. Elizabeth would laugh about listening to Matt try and get out of meeting Daisy's parents this weekend, and fill him in on all the new State Department gossip. For once, they just wanted to entertain themselves, and so he wouldn't tell her his doubts about his NSA assignment that had been plaguing his mind all week.
Finally, after stuffing themselves full, and drinking maybe a little too much wine, he'd get up and bring her dishes to the sink, leaving them for the morning. Their hands would meet, fingers intertwined, and they'd walk slowly up the stairs and enter their room. He would look into her glowing eyes, which he rarely saw these days, and touch his lips to hers. For a moment, she'd just enjoy his kiss, and then her lips would awaken, and she'd kiss him back harder. He'd walk her backwards, lowering her down onto the bed and then climb on top of her.
*not gonna write this part - use your imaginations*
Afterwards he'd cuddle up to her side, wrapping his arms around her smooth skin and feeling her chest rise and fall as they fell asleep together.
However, Henry's night did not go as hoped. With thoughts of his wife, Henry's eyes finally began to droop, and eventually he fell asleep, an empty space beside him.
Around 1 AM, Elizabeth opened the door to their darkened room. Her hair was disheveled, and she held her high heels in her hand. It had been a long night up in the Oval Office, strategizing with Conrad and Russell. She had wanted so badly to just come home and cuddle with Henry, like she'd needed for so long. She felt disconnected from him, and it left her dejected. She needed him, and she knew it. She needed to tell him about her day and just let her feelings out. Instead, she felt as if he was increasingly distant, and she didn't know whose fault it was.
Lowering her stuff to the ground, she unbuttoned her blouse and slid off her skirt. She pulled open Henry's drawer, choosing one of her favorite shirts of his, soft and worn – one she used to wear all the time back when they were dating. She inhaled its smell deeply; it smelled so much like him. Pulling it over her head, she walked over to the bed. She lifted up the covers gently, not wanting to wake her soundly sleeping husband, and slid underneath the warm covers. Within moments, she was fast asleep.