One Thing

She was frustrated. She shouldn't be, Liz knew, because things were going exceptionally well, which should have been good. And it was. She knew it was. It didn't make her nervous at all.

It really was a turn around. He had been so nervous their first couple of dates, tripping over his own words and he had fidgeted the whole time. Those big blue eyes of his had barely been willing to meet her gaze for part of the first date, though he never seemed to have trouble meeting someone else's. It was cute. Sweet, even, but she hadn't expected to fall even quicker as he seemed to gain his confidence back and became more comfortable with her on the third date. Oh, he still tripped over his words now and again, but she started to catch glimpses of just how smart he really was. He had a master's degree in education and chose to teach fourth grade because he liked to. Intelligent, kind, unpresuming, a good cook, and the evening she heard him singing quietly along with the music he had playing while he was making dinner she had to add musical talent to the absurd mental list of perfection she had going. Liz found herself chuckling.

Tom turned, blinking owlishly from behind his glasses as if he hadn't heard her come in. Two months into their relationship they hadn't quite made the move to live together, but they had keys to each other's places, so she had let herself in. The nervousness seemed mostly put away for him and this sort of adoration was left in its place. "Hey. Didn't hear you come in. My singing that funny?"

Liz rolled her eyes and set the bottle of wine down on the counter. "No. It's good. Like your cooking. Like everything else. What can you not do, Tom?"

He laughed, the smile reaching his eyes and she found herself echoing it. "Well," he said thoughtfully. "I can't swim. Does that count?"

She stared at him, trying to make sure she heard him right. "Seriously?"

"Yeah," he answered and turned back to his bubbling sauce in the pan.

"Who doesn't know how to swim?" she managed, and she knew as soon as the words left her lips how it sounded. "I mean, why did you never learn?"

She could see the hint of his tight smile from the angle she was at. "A lot of people don't know," he said quietly, but not quite defensively. "But... mine may stem from Craig's so-called swimming lessons when we were kids."

Liz frowned a little. She still hadn't met Tom's brother, but she'd heard enough to know that they weren't very close and that she didn't like him. Tom never spoke at length about him, but it sounded like the older brother had known how to bully the younger in all the worst ways when they were younger, and Tom - sweet man that he was - hedged around what his girlfriend knew was the truth. He never bad mouthed his brother, specifically, but she could read between the lines.

"So I'm guessing a trip out to the coast probably isn't going to happen, huh?" Liz teased as she wrapped her arms around his middle from behind, pressing her cheek against his back.

"Sure we can. I'll just stay out of the water," he answered, leaning into her.

"Maybe I could teach you."

"To swim?" he chuckled. "I don't know. I'd probably drive you nuts with it. Then I'd sink," he laughed.

"Guess I'd just have to save you, huh?"

He reached over and turned the burner down a little more before turning to face her. Her arms were still locked around his middle and there was a flash of an expression in his eyes she couldn't quite pinpoint. "Guess you would," he murmured and reached up, his hand touching the side of her face gently and making its way to her hair. He leaned in and Liz met him halfway, their lips touching. As she felt the kiss deepen she wondered how she'd managed to get it so right this time. He might not be perfect, but she was pretty sure he was as close as a guy could get.

Notes: Have I mentioned recently I love writing fluff for these two? They're just so cute.