So I know my last chapter talked about what happened at the dance (or rather, Natalie talked about what happened at the dance to her parents), but now I really want to write that chapter... so here it goes.

I know it's yet another chapter of Natalie/Henry fluff, but seriously: does ANYONE actually mind? Is anyone against this pairing? I think not.

Anyways... thanks for reading!

And I'm done with disclaimers, btdubs. Everyone knows I'm not Ton Kitt or Brian Yorkie by now, because I can hardly imagine Brian Yorkie sitting down and writing a story about how Henry proposed to Natalie with white cheddar popcorn...

Henry held the door open for her, and followed her into the school. "I just can't believe you're here," he said for what was probably the third time already, and they hadn't even gone into the dance yet. Still- she couldn't bear to make fun of how excited he was. Not after what he'd just said, about her possible insanity. HIs words kept running through her mind, and her stomach lurched just thinking about him. He'd said he loved her. Tonight was the first night that she actually believed him. All the memories from the past few months flooded her mind- the clubs, the drugs, meeting her parents, everything- and now she realized that what he'd said was true. He did love her.

She reached for his hand after he handed the chaperones the tickets and walked into the gym.

"Classy," Henry said dryly, eyeing the paper streamers and the colored flashing lights that attempted to make the gym look like something other than what it was.

"I think it's nice," Natalie remarked, lacing an arm through Henry's.

He raised his eyebrows. "Well, well, well. Someone has come around," he said, smiling and grabbing both her hands, leading her towards the dancing.

"Maybe I have. Who knows?" she let out a laugh. "For now, everything seems ok."

"Hi, Natalie!"

She turned and saw a girl from her English class wave at her. She smiled back.

"You look really nice. I love your dress, it's so pretty," the girl said. Molly, her name was, Natalie remembered.

"Thanks," she said, slightly stunned. "Yours, too," she said out of reflex. When she actually did look at Molly's dress, it was pretty. She just wasn't used to hearing other girls saying that she looked nice.

"I have to go meet my friend now, but it's nice to see you!"

"You, too," Natalie said with an idle wave.

She turned back to Henry with an expression of wonderment on her face.

"That was weird," she said, trying to sum up what she was feeling.

"No it wasn't. She said hello!"

"And that I looked nice," Natalie argued halfheartedly, trying to ignore how mask how good she was finally feeling.

"You do look nice," Henry said, kissing her softly on the lips. "And don't be surprised when people actually like you- you're really not that scary," he said teasingly.

"You have to say that," she said, now really not wanting to argue. She just wanted to accept these compliments, but habits were habits.

"I have to say it because it's true. You're amazing, and I'm not the only one who sees that. People want to be your friend, Nat. If you let them," he said, giving her a look.

She blushed. She really hadn't let Henry be her friend lately, much less her boyfriend, even though he was really what she'd needed most. "I'm sorry for how I treated you. I was not a nice person," she said. She wanted to end the statement with "last week," or "for the past month," be she realized that for the duration of their relationship, she hadn't exactly been the best girlfriend.

"It's ok," Henry said. "You couldn't be nice to me until you started being nice to yourself. Which, I might add, is long overdue."

He leaned down and kissed her again, and this time she didn't let him pull away. As a song that she liked came on, the music blasting loudly throughout the gym, she led Henry further into the dance floor. They joined countless other couples doing what she'd always deemed completely cheesy, and began to slow dance. She'd never done it before, except once in middle school when this really awkward kid she didn't really know asked her to dance. They'd refused eye contact the whole time, and stayed about a foot and a half apart. When the dance was over, she felt the wet spots from his sweaty palms on her shirt. Gross.

With Henry it was different- but with Henry, everything was different. At first she felt like a loser, but then she just decided to forget everybody else and she leaned her head on Henry's shoulder, and he held her close to him. At the end of the song, they stayed put for a long time, even though a fast song that she hated had replaced the slow one. When she finally pulled away, she leaned up and kissed Henry one more time.

"Thanks," she said, meaning to whisper but having to yell over the din of the music.

"For what?" he said, really not knowing. How could he not know?

"For everything. For..." She realized then that how wonderful he'd been for the past few months wasn't a good deed. It wasn't him trying to be nice to her, or to help her out. That was just how he was. He was simply and purely good. "Thanks for being you."

"Thanks for being you, Nat," he said. "This year, even with everything that happened so far, has been so much better than any other, and it's because of you."

The words felt strange to her ears. Someone liked her just the way she was? She'd actually made someone's life better?

"That may have been the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me," she confessed.

"Aww, now I've turned you into a cheese-ball like me!" he said, smiling. "That's been my mission all along, you know."

She laughed, though she wasn't exactly sure if he was kidding.

"Now come on. Let's dance!"

She let him take her hand, and for once was not embarrassed when Henry started dancing. He was not exactly the smoothest dancer in the room, but she didn't care. She let go of all her self-consciousness, and for once began to have, sure, simple fun.

"Oh my god!" Henry said, laughing hysterically. "I can't believe you actually did that!" he said, referring to how Natalie ordered both of their milkshakes and fries in perfect spanish, then turned around and asked the guy behind them in line for a nickel in french. She then accepted their orders in English.

"What?" she asked as they walked back to Henry's car. "Doubling up on languages lets you mess with people's minds!"

"That was great."

He started to drive her home, but then when they reached her street, she told him to pull over before they reached her house.

"What is it?"

She didn't answer at first. "I just don't want to go home yet."

He nodded. They sat quietly for a moment, Natalie wondering what disaster awaited her at home after one of the happiest nights of her life. Henry broke the silence with the slurping of his empty milkshake.

"Sorry!" he said, putting it down. She laughed.

"I forgive you."

"Hey. You're cool, you know that?" Henry said.

"Um... thanks."

"And who lives here, by the way?" he asked, jerking his head in the direction of the house they were pulled over in front of.

"Um... I don't know. Why?"

"Well, I was just picturing some old lady getting scared out of her wits by some randy, reckless teenagers idling outside her house."

"Oh," Natalie said, laughing again. "Yeah I guess we do look kinda sketchy."

"Not that a station wagon is exactly the sketchiest car around..." Henry said, and Natalie laughed. "Except I think I'm pretty cool, you know. Drivin' my mom's old car. I have the hottest ride in town."

"Duck!" Natalie shrieked, and he obeyed without thinking.

While they hid their heads under the dashboard, Henry whispered. "Why are we ducking?"

"Oh." She sat up. "I guess we don't have to... I just saw a car coming and I thought for some reason that we had to hide... I thought we were trespassing for a minute or something."

"Oh." Henry answered, and then laughed. "What the hell?"

"I don't know!" she said, swatting him on the arm. She leaned back, and sighed. "I guess it's time for me to go home, isn't it?"

"I don't want you too," he said.

"Me neither. But..."

"Yeah, I know."

After another moment of silence, Henry started the car again.

"Bye, Mrs. Natalie's Neighbor. I hope we didn't scare you too much!" he called after the house as they moved on towards Natalie's.

It was dark when he pulled into the driveway. It looked almost like no one was home, but she figured everyone had just gone to bed. Here we go, she thought, looking at the simple, innocent looking house. Back to real life.

She undid her seat belt, but Henry stopped her from opening the door. He reached for her hand, and ever so slowly drew in closer, until she closed her eyes and felt their lips meet. She wrapped her arms around him, and held him tightly to her, thinking that maybe if they extended this part of their night, then going home wouldn't seem so bad. If she had this to take with her, the rest of it would be bearable. When they broke apart, Henry whispered that he loved her.

Did she love him back? She wanted to say she did. She felt that she did. But saying it right back to him felt forced. Fake. She couldn't bring herself to say it, even though for the first time, she thought that it could be true. Luckily Henry just kissed her again, and then got out of the car, interrupting her worrying process. Pressure off, she thought.

She got out of the car then, and he walked her to her door.

"I had a really, really good time," she said honestly.

"Me too!" Henry said, always enthusiastic. "I'm just so glad you came!" with that he put his arms around her, but he didn't kiss her again. He gave her a bear hug, lifting her off her feet in his excitement.

"I am, too. I'm glad I didn't miss this."

"So," he said. "Will you call me tomorrow or something?"

She smiled. "Sure. And I'll see you Monday."

Whatever happened at home, she had that to look forward to, at least.

But she didn't wait until Sunday to call Henry. A half hour after she got home, as she sat on her bed in tears, her dress folded over a chair and her shoes scattered on the floor, she reached for her phone and called him.

On the third ring, he picked up. "Hey," he said, his voice soft so as not to wake his mother. "What's up?"

"Henry," she said, trying not to sob. She covered her mouth with a hand, and tried to catch her breath as her nose ran and her tears rendered her vision useless. "Henry..."

"What is it?" he asked, worried now. Tears were obvious in her voice, she knew. Her throat was constricted and she croaked out the next words.

"She's gone."

"Gone?" he asked in a small voice, not needing to ask who it was.

"She left. Without even saying goodbye."

She couldn't contain her sobs anymore, and just hugged the pillow from her bed.

"Natalie... I'm so, so sorry. Do you need anything? What do you want me to do? I can come over, if you want- we can go somewhere. Take a walk or something-"

It's two in the morning. You'd really come to my house now? she wanted to ask, touched, but didn't.

"No, no. I want to stay here... just stay on the phone with me," she said. "Just... talk."

"Ok. No problem, Nat. I love you."

"I love you, too," she said, and then sat up. Did she really just say that? It was so... natural. So easy.

Henry didn't answer for a second. When he did, his voice sounded happier than she'd ever heard it. Happier than when she'd agreed to go out with him the first time. "Thanks, Natalie. You know, everything's going to be ok. I know it will."

She had no idea if he was right or not, but for the time being, chose to believe him.

For the next two and a half hours, he told her that over and over again: it's going to be ok. She was going to be fine. He loved her. Finally, at four thirty, neither of them were speaking much. Her eyes ached from spilling out tears, and she needed sleep more than anything.

"Henry?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm going to bed now."

"Ok," he answered, a touch of relief in his voice. "Are you feeling... better?"

She gave a small smile. "Yeah. Yeah, I am. Thanks."

"Anytime."

"Goodnight."

"Sweet dreams, Natalie."