A/N: I have a to do list a mile long and somehow this worked its way to the top. Hope you enjoy!
Coffee
Henry sat a a table facing the door. His fingertips strummed nervously on the table. Checking his watch for the fourth time, he exhaled forcefully. It was ten minutes to four. He'd only been sitting there three minutes. Running his hand through his hair, he closed his eyes and tried to talk himself off the ledge. Why are you getting so worked up about this? She's meeting you to talk about religion. She probably already has a boyfriend or at least a line of suitors that are much more appealing than nerdy religion boy. There's nothing about me that says chick magnet! Henry laughed at himself.
"Something funny?" the voice came from above him and Henry's eyes shot open. Elizabeth stood a step away, smirking.
"Just a little self deprecating humor," he mumbled as he stood. "How about we get that coffee?"
She held up her cup. "I just grabbed one." She cringed a little when his face fell. She wasn't sure what the protocol was for coffee shop religious banter and she worried that she'd inadvertently insulted him.
"Oh, okay. I'll be right back then."
As Henry stepped away, Elizabeth turned her head and smacked her forehead with her palm. "What are you doing?" she muttered under her breath. This was unfamiliar territory for her. Elizabeth wasn't used to being the object of someone's attention, unless it was competitive. She spent lots of time with guys, in study groups, in heated philosophical discussions, in class vying for the top spot. Occasionally those casual relationships manifested themselves in a physical nature, but never was there any emotional connection, at least on her end. Henry McCord was already making his presence known in a completely new way and Elizabeth wasn't sure how she felt about it.
Elizabeth was still staring out the window lost in her thoughts when Henry returned to the table with his coffee and a jumbo chocolate chip muffin. Sitting the plate between them, he asked, "Do you like muffins?"
She grinned. "I'm a big fan of all baked goods." Pulling a plastic knife from a cup at the edge of the table, she asked, "I cut, you choose?" Henry's facial expression of utter confusion made her giggle. "It's something my mom used to make my brother and I do. If we had to share something, one person got to divide it and then the other got to pick which half he or she wanted."
"Ah," Henry said, "I grew up in the land of 'you get what you get and you don't throw a fit!.' But there were four of us, so I guess that made a difference." He watched as Elizabeth cut the muffin. She had beautiful hands. He felt the need to reach out and touch them, but he decided that was entirely too forward.
Elizabeth looked up. "Choose," she said. Henry pointed and Elizabeth pushed the half toward him. "Three siblings, huh. Where are you in the line up?"
"I'm the oldest. Then Maureen, Shane and Erin with and E, not an A, a sister. Stairsteps, all about 2 years apart."
"I'm an oldest too. Will is 18 months younger. How did you become a religious studies major?"
"It seemed like the right path to take. When I graduate in a couple years, I'm going to seminary to get my Masters."
"Where?"
"St. Charles Borromeo Seminary just outside Philadelphia."
Elizabeth didn't know much about seminaries, but the Saint meant something. "That means you're-" Elizabeth started.
"Catholic," Henry finished.
"Oh." Elizabeth couldn't hide the surprise in her response, but she hoped he didn't see the disappointment. Of course, the guy I would pick to like is going to become a priest. That seems about right.
"That is, unless my calling changes." Henry said.
"That happens?" Elizabeth asked seriously.
"The process is long for that very reason. Every effort is taken to make sure that the priesthood is where you are supposed to be, so I think that's what I'm called to be, but I have several more years of discernment in front of me." Henry explained.
"That's very interesting." Elizabeth mused. Of course all I need is God pissed off at me that I stole one of his shepherds in training. Good grief, you don't even know if he likes you. Get a grip.
Over the next few hours, Henry and Elizabeth talked about the World Religions class, UVA, food on campus, life in the dorms and a multitude of other topics. The pair were unaware of the passage of time, wrapped up in their own world learning about the other. Finally when the coffee shop shut off a couple sets of lights in the back, Henry looked at his watch. "Oh my gosh. It's almost 8. I'm sorry to have kept you this long."
Elizabeth grinned at him. "You definitely didn't keep me. I didn't notice it was that late." As if on a timer, her stomach rumbled.
Henry laughed as Elizabeth blushed, "Looks like the muffin wore off." He paused for just a moment wondering how bold his thought might be. "Uh, would you be interested in catching a late dinner with me? There's a good pizza place a couple blocks away."
"Like a date?" she asked, tilting her head a bit to the side.
"Oh my gosh, you have a boyfriend! I certainly don't want to step in the middle of something. I'll be happy to walk you back to the dorm." Henry was backpedaling furiously, stumbling over his words and inwardly pummeling himself for being so dumb. Of course she had a boyfriend!
Elizabeth laughed out loud, "Whoa. Calm down. I was just asking for clarification. Coffee to talk about religion can just be coffee and religion, but dinner afterwards might be construed as something more. I just want to know what I'm looking at here. And, no, there is no boyfriend. With the whole priesthood thing, can I assume there is no girlfriend?"
"No girlfriend here." Henry replied. Yet.
"Well then, If the offer still stands, I would love to get pizza with you. Then, maybe you could walk me back?" She looked up at him, hopeful.
Having placed their order, they selected a table near the back away from a large group of rowdy students who were celebrating the end of their midterms. Henry pulled the chair out for Elizabeth and then sat close to her instead of opposite her. She smiled shyly at Henry, her nerves suddenly getting the best of her. It had been quite a while since she went on a real date, and this felt much more important than any previous outing she'd been part of.
Henry grinned back at her. He couldn't believe that she had actually said yes. He thought their conversation went well earlier, but he'd been totally prepared to call it a good day and leave it as just that. But, she said yes to dinner and she had no boyfriend and she was looking at him, smiling. Those eyes. I will never get tired of looking into them.
"I have a confession to make." Elizabeth said suddenly, surprising herself. "I went to the study group last night with the express purpose of meeting you." She shifted her eyes away from him, wondering why she had shared that bit of information.
"You did?" She could hear the smile in his words. "Really? Why?"
"Professor Edwards alluded to you being really smart, and I read your article in the student newspaper, which was really good, by the way. Well, you just sounded like someone who would be worth my time."
"What does worth your time mean exactly?" Elizabeth certainly didn't come off as a primadona, but her statement sort of lent itself to that.
"Just that I don't want to spend my time dealing with a jerk whose only goal is to see how fast he can get in my pants. I want to be with someone who wants to spend time with me, so we get to know each other, to see where that leads."
Henry grinned, "So my potential intelligence and a newspaper article in which I essentially said that my family was poor and coming to college was really hard, lends me to being a guy you want to know. You are an enigma."
"It piqued my interest enough to come and see for myself."
"And my riveting lecturing about the generalities of religion convinced you?"
"No, but the discussion about the Crusades did. I heard you on my way in."
"Eavesdropping, were you?" Henry teased.
"You certainly weren't trying to be quiet. It was quite the passionate speech you gave." Henry could tell that Elizabeth was being sincere. "Then I watched you teach that group. You have a gift, you know."
"A gift?" he asked.
"For imparting knowledge so that others can understand. The ability to teach is a gift. Especially a subject that doesn't have widespread popularity. You had the full attention of the whole group, start to finish." Elizabeth said. Henry blushed at the compliment. "I think everyone in that room walked out with knowledge that they didn't previously have."
"Except you. I watched you. You already knew everything I was saying, which made me wonder why you took the time away from other studies to come."
"I did learn something. It just wasn't about World Relgions."
"And that was?" Henry prodded.
"That I wanted to get to know you." Elizabeth said quietly.
"I didn't think you'd take me up on the coffee offer." Henry murmured. Just then the pizza arrived and then there was the shuffling of glasses and plates to make room for the large pan. Henry served Elizabeth before himself and they sat in silence for a few minutes eating, realizing just how hungry they'd become.
"Why?" she asked. Henry looked at her quizzically. "Why didn't you think I'd take you up on your offer?"
Wiping his mouth with a napkin before speaking, "Because girls like you don't go for guys like me."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Elizabeth had adopted an accusatory tone in her voice.
Henry didn't acknowledge the shift in her tone. He shrugged. "Elizabeth, you are brilliant, witty, and thoughtful, not to mention drop dead gorgeous. Me? I'm just average. You can have your pick of any guy, and I'm just not the guy that girls pick."
"I picked you.first, remember?" She laid her hand on top of his, sending shockwaves up his arm. "I don't see average Henry. I see a man who is wicked smart, caring, giving and very handsome." Henry looked in Elizabeth's eyes and saw nothing but sincerity. Suddenly he felt very warm and literally had to fight the urge to kiss her.
"That's very kind of you to say," he said, surprised by the unfamiliarity of his own voice.
Elizabeth smiled. "Are you going to eat that?" She pointed at a piece of pizza. Shaking his head no, Henry laughed. "I don't know that I've ever been out before that my date outate me."
"I like food. What can I say? And hey, I hadn't eaten since the half a muffin, and that was a long time ago."
Henry laughed again, "Neither did I. Besides, I like it. I don't want to be around someone who is faking who they are." He waited for her to finish. "It's getting late. Do you have a midterm tomorrow?"
"I only have a paper to turn in and it's already finished," she said. "Do you?" Henry shook his head no. "Do you want to take the long way back to the dorm?" Henry chuckled as he rose from the table.
Out on the sidewalk, they turned left instead of right, to walk through the park on their way back to the dorm. They walked side by side chatting about classes and professors and campus events. At some point, their fingers brushed as they walked. The next time it happened, Henry caught them in intertwined his with hers and they continued to walk and talk. He told her about his strained relationship with his father and his desire to escape what his father had predestined him to be. Elizabeth spoke of her parents death and the challenges she faced, living with her grandparents and the challenges she had with her brother. By the time they made their way to her door, she felt like this man knew almost everything about her. It scared and comforted her simultaneously.
Henry stood facing her and looked down at where their hands were joined and he felt as though Elizabeth was an extension of himself. He couldn't believe he had shared such personal things with someone he barely knew. Although, when he look at her, he did know her. She had shared herself too.
She met his gaze. "What are you thinking?" he asked.
"I'm deciding whether or not it would be too forward of me to ask you to kiss me," she whispered. "It is only our first date."
"Actually," he said, looking at his watch, "It's been almost 8 hours and we've had coffee, dinner and a walk. That's definitely worth two dates, if not three."
"Oh, well then in that case, would you-"
"Yes," he breathed. Letting go of her hand, he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear before threading his fingers in her hair, cupping her head. Lowering his head, his lips gently brushed against hers before he took her top lip between his and sucked it gently. He was about to pull back, afraid of being too bold when Elizabeth ran her tongue along his bottom lip encouraging him to allow her access. She slipped one hand around his back and the other ran up his chest and around to the closely cropped hairs at the nape of his neck. Pressing into each other, their tongues played a game of cat and mouse until the need for oxygen overwhelmed them and they reluctantly pulled apart.
"That was-" she started, but Henry cut her off.
"Yeah, it was." Henry took her hand and brought it to his lip, gently kissing the back of it. "Goodnight Elizabeth. Sweet dreams."
He released her hand and turned to go. "Wait." He turned back to face her. "Goodnight Henry. Thank you for a wonderful evening."
"It was nice. Think we could do it again sometime?" Henry asked.
"I'm counting on it." Elizabeth replied and then she stepped into her room, closing the door behind her. "That was the best coffee I've ever had," she murmured to herself, placing her fingers to her lips, still holding on to the feeling of Henry's lips on hers. God might just have to get over the loss of a shepherd in training.