Morning everybody,
I'm completely out of my mind right now. The episode was amazing and I really was only a second away from punching right into Abe's face on my screen. I usually like him, but his timing sucked. After last week's promo I was positive something was about to happen between Jo and Henry, especially considering his look during that karaoke scene in last week's episode, but then thought how it's just season one. But at least we got to see they both definitely feel something for each other.
Naturally, this week's kiss that missed takes place during that scene. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing.
Thanks for your many reviews so far and much fun with this piece that could have happened if it weren't for Abraham Morgan :P
01x20: Best Foot Forward
He's decided that he doesn't want to try the revolver on himself after all, or at least not for the seeable future. Henry likes his life now. He's got a bunch of nice people around him, he likes working with Jo and Hanson and Abe is happy as well, so he figures it might be smarter to leave it for darker times.
There's a knock on the door, which startles him because he's not been expecting anyone. Jo is on a plane to Paris, Abe's got a key and Lucas usually doesn't show up here.
Henry turns around to walk to the door and he's not too surprised to find Jo there. His heart does a nervous jump in his chest and he feels his stomach drop. Jo hasn't been as excited as one should be if invited to the City of Love by their sweetheart and therefore he's not that shocked to find her on his doorstep. Henry can't really put a finger on why exactly, but somehow he's completely nervous about her reason for not going.
Jo's face doesn't give anything away as he lets her in. She doesn't look at him, putting down her suitcase as Henry asks: "Shouldn't you be on a plane?"
Somehow he senses they are edging on completely unknown ground, but he doesn't understand why. Jo's back is still turned towards him as she takes two steps further into the room. "Um…I realized that I…I didn't wanna go."
He hears her words, watches as she turns around to face him and yet he still feels shocked somehow and doesn't comprehend what she's saying. He looks wary as he talks. "What? To Paris?" Henry is hesitant, feels completely out of place because he just knows something big is about to happen and he's entirely unprepared.
Jo nods, her gaze darting away. "With Isaac." Her eyes turn back to look at him and he can't help but stare right back. "I didn't wanna go with Isaac."
Henry feels himself go a little wide-eyed and swallows but doesn't look away. "Why?", he asks, his voice deep and fearful, because he's afraid Jo's answer might be something he's in no way ready for.
Jo stares at him, then lets her eyes dart away for a second before they meet his again. "I don't know. I thought about what you said. About getting lost in Paris with someone who's special to me."
Henry swallows again. Is she actually saying what he thinks she is? It can't be, can it? "What about it?", he asks, his throat dry and closed up.
"I realized Isaac's not the special one I want to go there with," she admits at last and he wishes she wouldn't have because she's getting dangerously close to what he fears she wants to say and he, admittedly, wants to hear, even though he's definitely not ready and considering Jo has been happily dating someone else not so many hours ago he thinks she might not be ready either.
"So what does that mean?", he asks carefully and Jo shrugs. He knows they're both terrified of this, so he kind of admires her for her bravery.
"I guess Paris has to wait for a while."
He could stop now, change the subject or invite her for a glass of wine, but he does neither. Instead Henry asks: "Do you think you found that special one already?" He instantly wants to slap himself, but he also desperately wants to know her answer, even though he's not ready for it.
Jo bites her lip, let's her gaze drift away for a moment. "I think so, but I don't know for sure."
Henry swallows for the third time in the last few minutes and while he's nervous and terrified, his heart jumps in his chest as he realizes that they both definitely feel something for each other, though they don't know what to do with those feelings yet. "Maybe…," he clears his throat, too nervous to force the words out in one go. "Maybe we could find out together."
For the first time since she came here, Jo smiles, even if it's a little watery. "I'd like that," she whispers and Henry takes a deep breath and a step forward, so their feet are almost touching.
"I'm terrified," he tells her, staring intently into her eyes. "I'm out of practice and not as ready as I'd like to be."
Jo nods, taking his hand in hers and bites her lip again. "I know. Neither am I. All I know is that I wanted to experience exactly what you told me and I realized I want it to be with you."
Henry thinks that she's been looking like she needs a hug for quite some time now, ever since she came into the store really, so he decides to do just that, especially when he wants to feel her that close, too. He takes a deep breath and wraps his arms around her. Jo comes willingly, gently laying her hands against his chest and he feels them hotly on his skin. He closes his eyes because it feels amazing to have her in his arms. Way better than he anticipated. Jo sighs, her breath softly washing across the skin of his neck and Henry presses his lips delicately against her forehead.
"This is nice," she murmurs and nuzzles her face against his shoulder. Henry chuckles lowly. He's still a little overwhelmed, but he finds he doesn't mind so much.
"Well, it is a nice start," he says back and gently pushes her away. His eyes dart down to her lips and he feels the strong urge to kiss her again. He's had that for quite some time now, but never in a million years thought he would give into it any time soon.
"There's something else I've been wanting to try," he says and gets up the nerve to lean down and kiss her.
Jo sighs contently into the kiss and her arms slowly come up to wrap around his neck. He pulls her closer so that they're touching everywhere and his heart almost jumps out of his chest when she opens her mouth and brushes her tongue against his lips. He can't quite hold the groan in, but it's muffled by their connected mouths.
When they finally pull apart, they are both breathing heavily.
He starts to ask her how they want to proceed from now, but he's interrupted by the door and Abe's arrival.
"Henry? I need to talk to you."