((AN: It occurred to me that, perhaps, I should do something a bit more fluffy and light hearted to balance out the other one shots in this series. Plus, the thought was cute when it popped into my head! I still don't own Next to Normal. Reviews are still appreciated.))
I stretched out on my bed, staring up at a small crack in the ceiling. I know I did something to cause that crack. I'm sure of it. I can't remember what I did, but I made that crack. I could feel the mattress shift beside me, the weight of another person causing it to sag a bit. Then he put his arm around me. I allowed a small smile to pass across my face, if only momentarily, eyes still locked on that crack.
Here, with Henry's arm around me, the world felt safe. It was warm. He was holding me securely to him and I could feel his rib cage expand every time he took a breath. If I moved my head a little closer I could hear his heart beat. Taking deep breaths in through my nose, I relaxed even further. He smelled like pot. But he also smelled like soap and some kind of cologne. The smell had become so familiar to me lately. I was beginning to associate it with good times, happy times. But I wasn't going to tell him that. That was sappy. It was tacky. It was one hundred percent cliché, and Natalie Goodman was anything but. No, I wasn't going to tell him that. But I would make sure he knew he was appreciated. He would know that I felt the same way for him that he felt for me, even if I couldn't get those three little words, even if it wasn't as easy for me to profess my love for him as he could to me, he'd know…
"Something on your mind?" He asked me, startling me out of my thoughts.
I remained silent for a moment, unable to come up with any kind of answer. "What's your favorite color?" I finally blurted out.
I didn't have to look at him to know that he was shifting; he was turning to look at me. He was studying my face, probably wondering what brought that question on. I could almost feel his smile when he decided to answer me. "Blue."
The way he said it told me he wasn't done speaking. I knew there was some story behind it, something he wanted to tell. He was just waiting for me to ask. I continued to stare at the crack in the ceiling for a moment, not wanting to seem too eager. Then, I rolled over onto my side, propping myself up on my elbow to look at him. "Blue?"
He nodded, reaching out to push a bit of hair away from my eyes. There was that grin again. Dear God, I hoped he couldn't hear how fast my heart was beating now. "Blue… because, when I first saw you, years ago, back before you ever noticed me," the look he gave me when he said that told me he was only teasing, but I still felt awkward about that," you were wearing this blue shirt. And you looked absolutely miserable. You looked like you wanted to be anywhere else on earth, anywhere but stuck in that classroom. And all I could think was how blue made your eyes stand out."
I stared at him in silence for a moment before leaning in and kissing him gently. His hand came up to cup my cheek, palm pleasantly warm. I closed my eyes, letting the kiss linger, enjoying the closeness for a moment before pulling away slightly. "You are so sappy, "I whispered.
"So you tell me, like, every other day," he responded with a chuckle as he lay back down in the bed. I grinned, laying beside him once more, placing my head on his chest and listening to the steady beat of his heart. So, his favorite color was blue… I'd have to remember that…
