A/N: This was my entry for the Save Selfie Fic Contest! I was very excited to enter this contest because it meant that my writing could help give an impact to saving one of my favorites! I'm also so very thankful that I ended up winning the contest. It really means a lot to me that I even made it to the finals, let alone win the entire thing. Which brings me to say thank you to all of those that voted for it as well! I promised myself that whether I won or not, I'd give the story a re-work to add in some smut scenes since I wasn't allowed to for the contest, so expect that once I get a break from school. Anyways, please enjoy if you haven't already read the fic!
Being stuck in the elevator with Henry right after a massive fight wasn't Eliza's idea of fun. It was less than ideal today considering Henry had been acting strange around her the entire day in addition. Though they were together in the elevator alone — Henry following behind her in what she assumed would soon be followed with an apology — standing next to each other in silence.
They had gone down a few floors, nobody joining them, and neither had said anything. If Eliza wasn't so naturally stubborn, she would've said something by now. In hindsight, Eliza didn't see why she needed to be the one to apologize in the current situation. Most of the issues from today's argument were on Henry's side, and it was his own issues that needed to be worked out and not Eliza's.
After the day at the skatepark, Henry had been acting strange around her. The strangeness had especially increased over the past few days. She wasn't sure why he was acting nervous around her — he had almost dropped his coffee when she walked into the break room yesterday — and he blew up more than usual when it came to all issues regarding Freddy as of late. Henry had gotten on her case today for sending almost nude snaps to Freddy while at her desk — despite the lecture she had received last time from Henry and how the last place she should be doing that, if at all, was at work — and that to have been the last fuse for Henry to create a scene.
The whole office had seen the two of them arguing over who was right — Eliza — and who was in the wrong — Henry, obviously — until Eliza decided to storm off. She didn't need to hear an explanation from him, or — worst case scenario — get her hopes up that he actually was jealous of Freddy and voicing his feelings. She pushed the idea away as quickly as it had appeared, and opted for the option that Henry was just being a jerk. That option was the one that would cause less pain for the foreseeable future, and Eliza was going to keep it that way. She wasn't up to dealing with Henry's rejection again after the karaoke night if that's how things were going to turn out.
"Eliza—"
"Don't talk to me right now, Henry," she snapped.
"But—"
"Nope, I don't want to hear it."
"Eliza, let me explain—"
"No, Henry, let me explain. What makes you think you have any right to tell me what I can and can't do with my snapchat account, hm?" The lights in the elevator flickered before she continued. "I know you think they're innapropriate, but I've had a few rough days with you blowing up at every tiny mistake I make—"
"Eliza, please—"
"Let me finish," she said. "What's your deal been? You've seriously been on my ass these past few days and give me no explanation. All I've gotten from you is yelling and panicky moves from you and—"
The elevator shook and Eliza stumbled into Henry. She could barely see him as the lights flickered, and she soon felt Henry's arms wrapping around her waist to keep her in place. Her arms instantly locked around his neck, and she held on with all her strength. The fact that she was wearing heels as the tremors continued wasn't aiding to her balance, so her fingers ended up clutching onto the back of Henry's suit while the violent shakes continued. The shaking continued for a few more moments — the pair jostling around in the empty elevator — until it abruptly stopped.
Eliza took a second to catch her breath, still shaken, and looked into Henry's eyes. Multiple thoughts rushed through her head — most of them consisting of a possible death and no way to alert the internet that she had suddenly died in an elevator crash — but all of them led back to Henry. She could've died and the last thing she would've done was argue with Henry about something stupid.
Not that it mattered too much at this point — they both had lived and Eliza still had doubt in her theory of Henry confessing his feelings to her — because now they'd have to wait until they were rescued. Eliza continued to stare into his eyes, unable to find words, and felt her breath hitch. Their current position reminded her of when she tried to teach him to touch a woman for no reason, and had the perfect situation just landed right in front of them.
Her eyes wandered down to his lips, fixating on them, and the feelings she had buried started to surface again. Eliza could feel her heart pounding against her chest — okay, it might have had something to do with their recent near-death encounter, she thought, but the close proximity was also a factor — and she could feel it spreading through her body.
The feeling that was taking over her body was akin to the feeling she had when she was about to go to pound town with Freddy, but with Henry the feeling felt more intense without even having any indication of going anywhere. Her skin felt clammy and burning at the same time, both extremes clashing as she stared at Henry's face.
Neither of them had moved yet, and Eliza wasn't sure what they'd do when they eventually would. Her body was tingling from the anticipation, and she wasn't sure what to do. If this was any other guy in this situation, she would've jumped them and rode the pony to pound town. So why couldn't she move her body to do just that, she wondered.
Henry's breath was ghosting over her skin, her senses becoming hyper aware in the dimmed light, and her body physically ached from the lack of touching. She felt Henry's body shift, and he leaned in closer to her face. His hands moved down from the sides of her waist to the small of her back, and it caused Eliza to shiver. A small gasp escaped her when he pulled her closer, and she mentally noted that he had gotten better — or maybe he had it all along, she thought — at light touches and excuses to touch a woman. She also took great pleasure in knowing that she was the woman on the receiving end of this, and that made her shiver again. Eliza took in a shaky breath when his fingers pressed gently into her lower back, his lips now hovered right above hers, and her eyes fluttered shut.
As their lips nearly touched, the lights came back on to their previous fully lit state. The sudden change caused both of them to jump apart and distance themselves in the confined space. Eliza's body felt numb, and she couldn't believe that they almost kissed. The build up to it was far more intense than anything she had going with Freddy, and in that moment she felt her emotions for Henry coming back on full throttle. After this will-they-won't-they encounter, Eliza knew where her true emotions laid — even if it meant breaking Freddy's heart for a second time — and she wouldn't be able to push them away with a one-night-stand like last time. That almost kiss had given her a taste of what she had always wanted, love and acceptance, and it felt like a drug. Her body craved for more, and nothing could stop her.
A moment of silence spread over the elevator before Henry cleared his throat. "Eliza, look, I'm sorry."
"And?"
"I shouldn't have taken my frustration out on you."
She cocked an eyebrow at him. This was one of the few times Henry was groveling, and she was going to milk it for all its worth. Plus she had to know for sure if he was about to kiss her and confess his feelings.
"Eliza, I know what you're up to," he said.
"Okay, fine, you caught me," she said with a smirk. "Come on though, Henry, just admit to what I know is true."
"Not a chance, Eliza. The time isn't right."
She caught the small smirk he was trying to hide before checking her phone for signal so someone could rescue them. If her gut feeling was right, she was going to get Henry to admit his feelings and she'd commit to following through until she got what she wanted.