AN: So! Welcome to a new collection of oneshots. I'll be writing one a day for the next two weeks! I'm aiming for 500 words each. Some will be longer, some will be short. I just wanted to get more practice writing Larry and Petunia in the different verses.

Up first is Elliot and Bernadette. There's not a lot to go off with these two, so I apologize if your headcanon for their relationship is a total 180 from this.

The prompt - Imagine your OTP acting very friendly and playful/teasing with one another…. and then suddenly someone shouts out to them "so when's the wedding?!"

Things with Elliot and Bernadette were always still very new, despite the fact that they'd been dating for two years. But they never felt the need to push the relationship further. They were comfortable where they were. In fact, comfortable was probably the best word to describe their relationship. It was comfortable. They felt comfortable around each other. It was simple. And the beauty was the simplicity.

Of course, ever since the adventure with Alexander and Eloise, people started looking into their relationship a little more. Now that Elliot's scaredy-cat reputation had been lost, there were a lot of other girls interested. And what, with all positive change in his life, surely things in his relationship would change too, wouldn't they?

But as they sat, amicably chatting with one another, keeping a good six inches between them at all times, it was obvious that things weren't moving in one direction or another. It befuddled almost everyone.

It looked like they were going to be stuck in those early stages until they either broke up or turned 60. But then, one day, it all changed.

The staff Christmas party for everyone who worked at the dinner theatre, and George couldn't help but notice that the usual six inches between the two young adults had diminished considerably. Their knees were touching!

Not wanting to have made the whole thing up in his head, George nudged Sedgwick and motioned towards them, hoping for confirmation that he really was seeing what he thought he was seeing. Perhaps he should've asked someone else, in retrospect, because as the two were sharing what George considered a very elongated nose boop, Sedgwick laughed as he cried "So, Elliot, when's the wedding?"

Of course, that caught everyone's attention. As Elliot and Bernadette bonked heads as they turned to stare at Sedgwick, everyone else began staring at them. Rolling his eyes and scoffing a little, though his tone was still nothing if not convivial, Elliot replied "Oh, come on guys." trying to move the course of the conversation along. But then suddenly, Bernadette was standing up. And she was heading for the door. Uh oh. "Just…give me a minute, guys." He stated simply, as he got up to follow her out.

He ended up following her down the street, where she had sat herself on a bench. And was she…crying? "Bernadette?" he asked quietly, his voice wavering. "Is everything…you know…okay?"

She shook her head, as a crumbled up tissue she found in her coat pocket was used to subdue the last of her tears. "I'm sorry." She mumbled softly. "I just…the question was so awkward and I know they were joking and…" she realized she was rambling and quickly fixed the issue. Looking up at Elliot, she got straight to the point "If you want to dump me you can."

"What?" he asked flatly.

Eyes fluttering back down to her hands, which were folded neatly on her lap, her voice was light as she added "You don't have to stay with me anymore. It's okay. I understand."

"I don't understand." Elliot retaliated. He sat moved to sit next to her, once again giving her those six inches of space. "Do you…do you want to break up with me?"

"Of course not." Her eyes never left her hands. "But…you know…you're so out of my league now." She tried.

Once again, Elliot could only ask "What?"

"Back when we met, you were just cute." She laughed lightly, before adding "But look are you now. You're cute, and you're brave and confident and…and what are you still doing with someone like me?" she asked, finally lifting her head to look at him. "You can do so much better than me. And…I guess…I accept that now. So if you wanna leave, you can." She nodded a bit, as if it would help to sell her case.

His mouth started moving without his brain's consent. He couldn't help it. He was just so downright baffled by the entire situation. So before he realized what he was saying, he argued. "But I love you."

The redhead's entire body shifted towards him, green eyes blinking as she asked "You…love?"

Oh dear. "I…uhm…well…I mean…I guess…" now he was the one looking at his hands, his cheeks were red as he admitted, his voice quiet and shaking with the new revelation "Yeah, I mean, I guess I do."

The next thing he knew, her hands – cold from the December air – were on either side of his face, as she lead him into the first kiss they shared in a public place.

He had no idea that moving forward would make him feel even more comfortable than he had felt before. Being in love was a lot cozier than being comfortable.