Disclaimer: I do not own Ugly Betty (or Animal Planet and the shows that air on the channel) . I'm just a fan and I write for fun.
Authors Notes: Why did the reviews on my first UB fic have to be so darn sweet? You girls rock (I'm pretty sure you were all girls. If not, my apologies!) I'd love to write fics for you all but inspiration tends to come and go. Let's take a look at the most recent episode: quite possibly the most "adorkable" Henry/Betty love fest to date! Honestly, between finally getting a glimpse of Henry's apartment, the morning cuddling, and the kissing galore, what could I possibly write about? What more could I add to a delicious ice cream sundae with all the fixins' (or a better analogy: a dozen donuts of all your favorite flavors)?
Well, as you an see, I did find something to write about. Remember how fun, and sexy my first story was? ...Yeah, this won't be like that. Erm, sorry. I wanted to delve into Betty's thoughts about the complicated situation between her and Henry. Despite the fluffy moments, we were practically beaten over the head with the five-month timeline. So enough of this long rambling A/N, let's get on with my story. Hope you like it...
Complicated
When he offered her to stay at his apartment she was surprised. And rightly so. The two barely started dating, and now they were moving in together. For all her tenacity and optimism, she couldn't help feel something was off.
She didn't doubt her love for him; she was sure of that. And when she tried to put into words why she felt so strange, he pointed out that had been in his apartment before. And he was right. It wasn't the apartment itself that concerned her. It was everything else. The key, the sudden move, the uncertainty...
Moving into his place was supposed to be a big deal. She always dreamt that things would go somewhat slow between them. Dates, intimacy, then down the road in a few months, when they knew pretty much everything about each other, when they were absolutely sure they were ready for the commitment... the fact that he took her in under unfortunate circumstances just didn't sit well with her.
As she slumped against his dark closet, she felt her heart grow heavy. Why did things have to be so complicated between them?
She knew they didn't have the luxury of taking things slow. Not when he had to leave her in a few months. Had to go back to Tucson to raise his child with a woman he doesn't love…
'At this rate, in a few weeks, Henry will be proposing,' she thought to herself, sardonically. Well, it almost happened in the restaurant.
She felt her vision grow bleary. She was tearing up. Quickly removing her glasses, she wiped off a few stray tears and tried to think of something else. Anything else. She was away from her father, staying with the man she loved and they were living in the moment. She had to think positively… even something work-related would be a welcome change of thought.
But the dull ache and the negativity lingered. She let out a soft sigh. Despite arguing to her family and friends that she loved him, she couldn't help wonder… perhaps… if that was truly enough.
When every possible obstacle was thrown at them, every problem presenting itself, when every naysayer seemed to keep them from being together, she had to wonder if it was all worth it. Her heart screamed yes, but her mind silently offered arguments. Every time she had told him she couldn't go through with it – couldn't be with him – it was her mind doing the talking. Self preservation.
The battle between her heart and mind was long and arduous. It culminated in a great victory after Wicked but now her mind was going into overdrive, filling her with little doubts once again.
She reminded herself of the talk she had with Hilda. Her sister truly redeemed herself from the early days of meddling between her and Henry. Betty had to smile as she recalled Hilda being so dead set against the "big city accountant", and now she wholeheartedly supported them. At least Betty had someone in their corner. Not like her father...
His words came back and stung her. She knew she would get her heart broken, but she started to think whether five months of pleasure was really worth the impending heartache. Knowing how awful she felt at the moment, when Henry was right outside, how could she even hope to handle their inevitable goodbye? It would destroy her in every sense of the word.
A few more minutes went by, sitting in dark silence, leaning against his argyle sweaters and idly thumbing through the neck ties, before she heard a soft knock.
Would he notice she had cried? She didn't want to him to worry. Didn't want to bring him down, so she took several deep breaths. Pushing down her negative thoughts and getting back on her feet, she slowly opened the door.
"Hey," she spoke first.
"Hey," he looked as subdued as she felt, "You okay?"
"I'm good. I'm sorry I was being so weird. I guess I should ask where the bathroom is."
He managed a half smile, "Come on. It's over here."
The two ate takeout and chatted about nothing in particular. He took great pains to avoid heavy subjects such as her father's citizenship ceremony and their ever shortening time together. She was all the more grateful for it. With such precious time together, they shouldn't be spending it feeling sorry for themselves.
As the night wore on, she felt herself relax. After dinner, they decided to watch a DVD on meerkats. It was a nice distraction.
"Meerkat Manor?" Betty couldn't help smile at him.
"I heard it was really good," he grinned back at her, "Riveting and full of drama. No matter what happens in soap operas, you can't top being at the mercy of a variety of hungry predators."
"I guess not," she leaned against him and felt his arm draw her close. It was a wonderful feeling.
As it grew late, the smiling couple managed to detach themselves from each other and the couch long enough to get ready for bed. Betty assured him he could use the bathroom first and she took the time to look through her things; still not completely unpacked. She could finish up tomorrow.
A pamphlet caught her eye. She smiled, remembering that she wanted to invite him to the Transit museum sometime. Why not tomorrow? She quickly put it back into her bag. It would be a great surprise.
After picking out some clothes, she took a good long look around the room. Their room.
Books placed in every available shelf. Placards adorning the walls. The stove and sink over on the corner. The apartment was small but the very fact that it was his made it perfect. Her gaze finally settling on the bed they would be sharing. Her cheeks grew warm but she quickly shook her head. They would be using the bed for sleeping. Nothing more… at least not tonight.
When she heard him say he was ready, she turned around and caught sight of him. He was wearing an old shirt and sweatpants. She never thought she would see him look so casual. She really liked seeing this side of him.
With a smile and a kiss she took her turn in the bathroom quickly brushing her teeth and changing out of her clothes. She put on one of her favorite shirts. Her yellow sunflower shirt always cheered her up; they reminded her of bright, sunny days, and next to Gerber daisies, they were her favorite flower.
Exiting the bathroom she saw him sitting in bed smiling at her expectantly. For a moment, she felt like butterflies were flittering around in her stomach. Her heart beat faster and her cheeks were flushed. The sight was warm and welcoming. When she climbed into his bed, she realized it all felt so natural to her, so right. All the doubts she had earlier virtually disappeared.
Taking off her glasses and placing them next to his, she settled against him, resting her head on his chest. As she felt his warm breath on her hair and his steady, slow heartbeat, she knew it was all worth it.
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So this was more introspective than I thought it would be. Some angsty thoughts with a nice fluffy ending; I figured I could present a transition from nervous, unsure Betty to comfortably snuggling up against her man Betty. And doing a little scene between the initial move-in and the morning after in bed makes sure that I don't get screwed over by the writers. (seriously, we get a scene where Betty gets caught by her dad, but there's no gossip fest? Not even with Hilda? For shame writers!)
Reviews of any kind are welcome, and thank you for reading.
