Henry Mcord was a quiet individual. He had always been that way, usually going relatively unnoticed growing up in such a noisy household and the fact that he often had his head stuck in a book rather than doing the normal teenage things his siblings preferred to do. When he started at UVA, he made friends easily and went to the odd party here and there, but he was still the same quiet, well behaved Henry he'd always been. He liked living in his small apartment as it gave him the peace and quiet he needed to study, and he wasn't a huge lover of noise of any description. And then he met Elizabeth!
He rolled over in bed to cuddle up to his girlfriend, but found her side empty. He was just about to call out to see where she was so early on Christmas morning when he heard the commotion and got his answer. Prising himself out of bed, he pulled on his joggers and headed towards the noise.
"Damn it! How hard can it be to make breakfast? You've got this Lizzy, just focus." Elizabeth was muttering away to herself - Her personal pep talk not really working.
Henry stood in the doorway watching her as she crashed about in the kitchen, which now resembled something akin to a war zone. There was flour all over the side, egg shells strewn haphazardly and every pan and utensil he owned spread out. He considered offering to help, but was enjoying the view far too much to disturb her.
Elizabeth had her pyjama bottoms slung low on her hips and her white tank top only made it halfway down her torso, giving Henry a perfect view of her rather impressive abs. She was so toned and even in December, her skin had a bronzed look. Her hair was pulled up in a messy knot and her glasses were perched on the end of her nose as she attempted to follow the recipe in front of her.
The concentration on her face as she mixed the batter had Henry transfixed. He'd seen that look when she was studying and he adored how focussed on a task she could be. She'd managed to get batter on her cheek and her hair had a dusting of flour mixed in with the blonde.
The pan was spitting with hot oil and let out an almighty sizzle as she dropped the batter into the pan.
"For the love of god why is this so hard….For fuck sake." Elizabeth was getting more flustered by the second and the more annoyed she got, the sexier Henry found her. She was so incredibly perfect at everything he'd seen her do so far, but clearly cooking was not her forte.
"Do you need some help sweetheart?" Henry stepped into the kitchen and wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Don't you dare come in here distracting me Henry. The way things are going, the kitchen will be on fire any minute if you shift my focus." The way she looked at him was pure frustration mixed with overriding cuteness.
"Why don't you let me take over, that way we'll make it through Christmas without the need for any emergency services." Henry attempted to take the spatula she was currently holding but was met with great resistance.
"No! I wanted to make you breakfast as a thank you for letting me stay here and that's what I'm going to do." Elizabeth was determined not to be beaten by pancake batter or her distinct lack of any culinary skills.
As she flipped the first pancake onto the waiting plate, Elizabeth looked so impressed with herself, it was as if she'd just aced an exam. "Look at that! Just look at that Henry… Pancakes for breakfast… On Christmas morning… Yesssss. Who's the best girlfriend ever?"
Her victory wiggle had Henry in stitches. He watched her intently, shaking her ass to some silent beat with a smile a mile wide. Her eyes were sparkling brighter than he'd ever seen them and her body was to die for. He felt the need to glance up and thank all the stars in the sky that she was his.
"You're pretty impressive, I have to say. Will there be more than one pancake or do we have to share?" His smirk earned him a slap.
"I'll get them all made if you leave me to get on with it Henry."
"And miss the little wiggle of your ass with each one? Not a chance. I'm staying right here."
"You're distracting me. Do you want breakfast or not?" She tried shoving him out of the kitchen but his arms banded around her body, holding her in a vice like grip. Placing soft kisses on her bare shoulder.
"What can I say…. I can't stay away from you. I love you Elizabeth. Every last delicious inch of you. Come back to bed." He was mumbling against her skin and she was starting to lose her focus.
"Henry, I really want to do this. It's important to me. Can you please just leave me to get on with it and I promise you can do what you wish with me later."
Henry looked around the disaster area that was the kitchen and smiled. She had clearly gone to a lot of effort to impress him and he loved her for it.
"Okay! But do I get to use all the same toppings on you? I can see the whipped cream, syrup and chocolate sauce on the side and it's conjuring up all sorts of thoughts in my head."
"Jesus Henry, I'm not a dessert." The curt roll of her eyes only made Henry want her more.
"Hmmmm Hmmmm… You could be." That devilish grin of his was doing things to Elizabeth she really couldn't entertain right then.
"Fine, whatever. Just get out so I can make you breakfast." With another shove, she managed to get him out of the kitchen, but not before he caught her lips with a deep kiss.
"I'm gonna hold you to that. You covered in whipped cream and chocolate sauce…. God alive I'll be like a kid on Christmas morning." He was so reluctant to move out of her space, but got the message with one last gentle push.
"You are a kid on Christmas morning! Now get out and let me cook you breakfast."
By the time she'd managed to prepare the whole stack, Elizabeth was brimming with confidence. She hadn't found it particularly easy, but she'd done it and it made her feel so good. She also realised how the simplest things could mean so much. It also brought back some good memories of her mother making breakfast for her and Will. It filled her with a warmth she's been missing since their death. It was good to finally be able to think of them in a good way without the deep sense of sorrow that always came with it.
"Breakfast is served baby." She placed the plate on the table and Henry quickly pulled her onto his lap.
"Hey Elizabeth, Merry Christmas beautiful. The first of many I hope."
"Yeah, I hope so too. Merry Christmas Henry."
The look shared between the two of them held pretty much every emotion. How one mistimed slip on some ice could lead them both to this moment was insane, yet here they were, together!
Once breakfast was done with, Elizabeth cajoled Henry out of the apartment, much to his frustration, to take a walk. She'd said it was because she needed fresh air, but as they walked and conversed, Elizabeth revealed that it was an Adam's family tradition to take a long walk before Christmas lunch, and it just felt right to do that with Henry.
He listened as she spoke about her parents, opening up to him more and more. Telling him tales of childhood holidays and how deeply she missed them. He felt humbled to be allowed into her world, to share something so personal with her. Even though he hadn't heard the words from her he was longing to hear, this was enough right now. Elizabeth was showing him in her own way just how much she cared for him and it was all he needed.
Henry stopped walking and pulled her close "I'm your family now Elizabeth. We found each other for a reason, and I'm all in."
With a deep breath, Elizabeth gently shook her head "We barely know each other Henry. What's gonna happen when the holidays are over and we stop spending time together? When I go back to my room and we forget all of this? What then? Don't make promises you can't keep."
"Are you telling me you're going to forget me? Because I sure as hell won't be forgetting you. Don't you believe me when I tell you I love you? I don't say it for fun Elizabeth. I say it because I mean it. When are you going to start believing that you deserve to be loved?" Henry was torn between wanting to hug her and shake her.
"Can we go back now? We should get lunch sorted." She tried to walk away but Henry pulled her back.
"No! You said you were scared of everything, so tell me. Tell me how we stop you being scared. Tell me what I can do to make you believe how incredible you are. You keep running away from the very thing that can make you happy. Why?"
"Henry, don't." She was struggling to meet his gaze.
"Then talk to me. Tell me what's going on so I can help you." The pleading tone in Henry's voice cut like a knife and her resolve crumbled.
"I LET THEM DOWN. I stayed at home Henry because I was being a bitch and they never came home. My mom died thinking I was mad at her. My brother hates me because I wasn't in that car. And if I let you get too close, I'll lose you too and I can't Henry. I just can't." Her tears trickled down her cheeks, the cold breeze making them feel like ice against her skin.
Henry wrapped his arms around her slender frame and squeezed her tight. "You can't get rid of me that easily Elizabeth. I'm not going anywhere. If you ever have any hope of moving forwards and being truly happy, you have to forgive yourself for whatever you think you've done. You weren't to blame for what happened, and had you been in that car I may never have got the chance to meet you. And we were meant to meet Elizabeth, I was always meant to love you." He spoke with such conviction, such intensity that it made Elizabeth take notice.
"How can you be so sure of everything? You know so little about me Henry. What if you really don't like who I am once you start uncovering it all?"
"Have you murdered anyone? Going by an alias to cover your tracks? Married with 10 kids?" Henry's smile eased the tension.
Elizabeth smirked "None of the above."
As Henry gently kissed her lips he spoke softly "Then I know all I need to know. You are a beautiful person inside and out and I love you, for everything you have been, everything you are and everything you're yet to be. You just have to be willing to accept it."
"I want to, I really do. But fear is making it almost impossible. I want to speak those words to you, but they won't come out. I want to believe in us, but I'm scared to do so. It's far easier to be alone." The tears continued to trickle like an icy stream, weaving down her face. The dam finally breaking with each kind word Henry spoke.
"Well, you're out of luck baby, because you'll never be alone again. I want to take care of you and protect you, and I know that sounds condescending but it's the truth." His eyes never left hers, making sure she could see how genuine he was.
Elizabeth pondered his words and took a moment to contemplate her response.
"Actually, it's not condescending at all. I am more than capable of taking care of myself, I've done it for some time now. But it's nice to know that I don't always have to. That you're there to hold me up when I can't manage it myself. I want this Henry, I want you, I just wish I knew how to let myself."
"You need to stop thinking so much and just go with how you feel. You spend entirely too much time analysing everything. Your head never lets your heart have a say…try listening to it once in a while."
"That all sounds so easy Henry." How did he always make everything seem so simple.
"It can be. I love you and I want to build my life around you. So you'll just have to get used to it Elizabeth Adams. You're stuck with me now."
As Henry's arms enveloped her shaking body, Elizabeth finally felt herself relax, the tension and hurt she'd been holding onto for so long easing in his embrace. Maybe, just maybe Henry was the one she'd been waiting for.