AN: I feel like this isn't really anything exciting, but I've never written a multichapter fic before and I know where I want it to go, I just have to get there. Sorry if your're totally bored reading this, summer is coming up and I plan on having a lot more time to really get into this. Until then, I'm just going to keep building and try not to rush anything. (:

Henry tossed and turned in bed that night, struggling to find sleep because every time he closed his eyes he was met with the image of her sparkling blue ones; he was sure he had never seen such a color in his life. Even from across the room for the brief second their gazes met, he could tell that they were unique- almost husky like, but not quite. For the most part, he had successfully cleared them from his mind after leaving class that afternoon, but in the darkness of his bedroom with nothing else to occupy his mind, they were back to haunt him

He had taken the "long" way back to his place that day with the intention of distracting himself, circling around the quad twice before crossing one of the outer roads of campus and continuing down the street towards his place. Henry was an observant young man and he found walking meditative. He took in people and things as he passed, listening to his breathing and the steady beat of his boots as he marched. That afternoon in the swirling of the snow, he successfully marched the blue-eyed beauty out of his head before he reached his place- so he thought.

When he got home, he made a beeline for the kitchen after ditching his bag by the door and unlacing his tan boots to leave them by the door. It had been a very long day on campus and he hadn't bothered to buy an overpriced, undercooked meal there because he knew he had perfectly good food waiting for him at the house. Henry opened the refrigerator and scanned the contents, deciding to pool the last of his veggies into a stir fry for himself and his roommates. He set a pot of water to boil while he washed and cut carrots and broccoli, then proceeded to steam them as he chopped the remnants of an onion and half of a red bell pepper. He also conveniently had a bit of a baked chicken leftover, and once the veggies were done steaming he added everything to a saucepan that already contained the fresh broth he had just made.

After mixing everything into the pan, he put the lid on to let it simmer while he filled the sink to wash his dirty dishes. While he cleaned up his mess, his mind began to wander and he found himself briefly fantasizing a kitchen scene with his future wife, whoever she may be, cooking a meal together for their kids. He smiled as he scrubbed, imagining the way he might tickle her from behind as she stirred a pot of boiling pasta or playfully bop her on the nose with a finger covered in mashed potatoes. He smiled to himself, caught up in the picture perfect image of what he hoped his future might hold, then abruptly shook his head and snapped his thoughts back to the kitchen to focus on the cutting board he was cleaning. He realized that the woman in his fantasy kitchen was the pretty girl from Renaissance. "That's not normal," he whispered under his breath, trying again to push her to the back of his mind.

Once he finished the dishes, he went to his room to change out of his uniform and into a t-shirt and a pair of gym shorts. It wasn't long before his roommates were home and although they were not expecting Henry to have dinner prepared, they definitely weren't surprised; not only was Henry great in the kitchen, he also really enjoyed it. By 6:00 they were all sitting around the kitchen table enjoying the delicious meal Henry had prepared and sharing stories about their first two days of classes.

Henry and three of his buddies from freshman year had finally decided to go off campus and rent a three bedroom house to get away from all the chaos of campus and life in the dorms. It was nice to be away; it seemed like he spent his first two years living and breathing "UVA," and although it was less than a five minute walk back to his place from the edge of campus, it was still refreshing to officially be "out on his own."

Because it was a three bedroom, two of the boys had to share the master. It hadn't been as big an issue as Henry thought because Michael and Richard volunteered. They roomed together in the dorms for the first two years and had their system perfected. It helped that Richard and his girlfriend had been together since high school, so he spent a lot of time in her dorm room and Michael pretty much had the master to himself. Dean had the bigger of the other two bedrooms, but Henry didn't mind. He shared a room with his brother Shane for most of his life so small as it may be, Henry was just happy to finally have his own space.

After dinner, Dean offered to clean the rest of the dishes. Richard left for his girlfriend's dorm, and Michael went for a shower. Henry decided to head to his room and sort out his classwork and prepare for the rest of the week. He was in bed by 9:00, but for some reason he was suddenly wide awake. As his mind wandered, his thoughts returned to Renaissance. Why was she in that class? Personal interest? He doubted it. Maybe she was an Art major, but judging by the way she carried herself and paid attention at the front of the classroom even as their professor reviewed the syllabus suggested that she was a bit more practical. Not that art wasn't a reasonable choice, but for some reason, she struck him as more of a brainiac; a Chemistry major, or maybe Math.

Henry opened his eyes and rolled over. All of these assumptions are based on appearance, he thought, why does it matter to me? She has nothing to do with anything. But maybe she would. Henry had a feeling that he would find a way to get to know her, but he also knew that he shouldn't have any expectations. All he knew about her was that she was a pretty girl with stunning eyes, and when it came down to it, those things were trivial. Maybe she's a total bitch, Henry wondered, but immediately felt guilty. He was completely over analyzing and although nobody knew it but him, he was embarrassed.

He rolled over and looked at the digital alarm clock on his nightstand and sighed heavily. Somehow it was almost midnight. He liked to shoot for eight hours a night, but that clearly wasn't going to happen so he rolled to the edge of his bed and swung his legs over the end of the mattress. Instead of standing, he slid onto the floor and began to do push ups. He fell into a rhythm that he was able to focus on and it helped clear his mind the way the steady pace of his steps had on his walk that afternoon. He didn't stop until his arms burned, and when they did he crawled back into bed and immediately fell asleep before she could creep back into his mind.


Wednesday morning, Elizabeth woke at 7:00. By 7:05 she was down the hall and in one of the community bathroom showers humming a tune that would not be recognized by anyone who may have heard her because she was all but tone deaf. After patting herself dry, she wrapped herself in her towel and moved her shower caddy to one of the sinks to brush her teeth. When she returned to her room to dry her hair, the clock read 7:20, and by 7:45 she was dressed and ready for the day. She went straight to her first class of the day and sat on the floor outside the door reading from her textbook and working calculus problems until class started at 8:30.

As she walked between classes that day, she found her eyes wandering among the faces she passed. She normally kept her head down and sped across campus at top speed; she wouldn't admit to herself that she was looking for a certain face in particular.

Henry found himself more alert that day as well, his heart beating a little faster every time he caught a glimpse of light blonde hair blowing in the wind. He would work himself up to approaching her and maybe asking her name, but as soon as he decided to go for it he would realize that it wasn't her. It's for the best, he thought, it's premature. Don't force anything.