Word Count: 672
Summary: She lingers at the door sometimes. Not always, and I doubt she even notices that I know. But I do.
Disclaimer: I don't own The Big Bang Theory or the characters.
She lingers at the door sometimes. Not always, and I doubt she even notices that I know. But I do. And when I catch her doing it, I'll press random keys on my keyboard, pretending to be busy, just to have her eyes on me for another second.
She does it when she's had a rough day but doesn't know how to say it. So, she just looks at me – like that alone might make things better. Maybe, in some way, it does.
It's like when she sits a little closer after a long day at work, or when she leans against me as I stand in front of the whiteboard, as if she's solving the equations right along with me.
I love those moments. The way she lingers when handing me a bottle of water, just so our fingers brush. The way she glances at me during conversations, searching for my reaction. My favorite might be the second kiss before she heads across the hall for girls' night. That soft, fleeting kiss – like she's leaving for weeks instead of just a few hours.
Honestly, though, every moment with her is my favorite. Loving her is the greatest thing in the world. But being loved by her? Nothing could ever compare.
On bad days, I watch him for just an extra second. It doesn't fix anything, but it helps. Maybe because it's a borrowed moment – one more second of my day that belongs to him. And some days, that's all I need to get through.
Even when he's busy, standing in front of that whiteboard full of weird symbols, I'll lean against him. It probably annoys him, but he never says a word. And afterward, I always feel better.
At dinner with our friends, I'll glance at him, and sometimes he's already looking at me. My cheeks heat up like some lovesick teenager, but he just smiles and turns back to the conversation. I swear, I never recover fast enough before Sheldon makes everyone roll their eyes. I roll mine too, but only after suppressing a laugh – because really, I was laughing at how much I love my husband. Not exactly something I can just blurt out at the table.
So, instead, I get up to grab a water. I notice Leonard's bottle is empty and grab one for him too. Maybe I hold it out for just a second longer than necessary, but he doesn't seem to mind. He just looks at me, the way he's looked at me for twelve years.
I love girls' night. Always have. But now, with Bernie busy with the kids and Amy balancing work and Sheldon, our time together isn't what it used to be. So sometimes, girls' night is every few weeks instead of practically every night like it was back then. It was easier in those days – we had more time, fewer responsibilities. And, if I'm being honest, maybe I needed the distraction more. Because during that time, Leonard wasn't mine to come home to. He belonged to someone else.
But even for just a few hours, leaving him is hard. Because on the nights without girls' night, it's just us. Sheldon and Amy are across the hall, Howard and Bernadette with their babies, Raj with them. Just me and Leonard, curled up on the couch, watching some movie we've seen a dozen times.
It's only one night apart – across the hall, not the North Sea, after all.
Still, I linger at the door. This time, he doesn't pretend he doesn't notice. He looks at me and gives me that Leonard smile, the one I love so much. And in that one look, I feel everything – his love, his devotion, his understanding.
I smile back, hoping that one day, somehow, I'll be able to show him just how much I love him. Because words will never be enough.
The End
Based on the quote "The number of hours we have together is actually not so large. Please linger near the door uncomfortably instead of just leaving." Hope everyone likes it!