Discretion (4/?)
Pairing: Jeff/Annie
Spoilers: Through 2.04
Word Count: 716
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I do not own Community.
Description: Missing moment from Basic Rocket Science
Author's Note:0penhearts = BEST BETA EVER
Previous Chapters
IV: Design
The sun has already dipped low into the horizon when the last news van drives away, the crowd dispersing into the night.
Annie perches at the edge of the stage, swinging her legs back and forth, hunched over with her chin cupped in the palm of her hand. She stares intently at the outline of the Greendale library and administrative buildings.
Everything looks too bland and non-descript in the fading light. It could almost be any school, in any state - any community college at least. She’s pretty sure there’d be no mistaking Greendale for a Harvard or a Columbia or even a University of Denver.
Of course, Harvard doesn’t have a Space Bus. (She thinks.)
Out of the corner of her eye she sees someone slide up and take a seat next to her.
Annie closes her eyes and counts to twenty.
“I’m sorry about today,” she finally whispers, quietly.
Jeff huffs out a laugh. “Well. We probably wouldn’t have even been there if I hadn’t ratted us out about the flag.”
Annie tries not to smile but she can’t help the way her lips twitch in amusement. She ducks her head down and Jeff laughs again.
“If you imply in any way that you’re proud of me for that, I will kill myself.”
It takes a second but she finally manages to cough back a grin and shake her head with a look of faux seriousness. Jeff just scrubs his hands over his face, letting out a sound of mixed irritation and wow, who the hell am I now?
Annie really really wishes she had an answer to that question. For both of them.
The faint sound of crickets fills the air all around them and it’s long moment before either of them speaks again. Annie picks at a stray string in the seam of her jumpsuit.
“You were really going to transfer because of our design?”
She looks at him, startled. He’s squinting into the distance.
“I-”
But she’s not really sure what to say, if there’s even anything to say that won’t make it all sound utterly ridiculous.
Because this little bubble of security we had built around ourselves burst at the beginning of the year and I feel like it’s my fault. And I feel like everyone else thinks it’s my fault. And maybe I really would like at least one part of my life not to be a complete joke.
When he looks back down at her a crooked smile plays across his face and she knows she doesn’t need to explain. Of course he gets it. He’s been here the whole time (even if it hasn’t always felt like it lately) and he’s got this uncanny way of seeing the things that she doesn’t want to admit are there.
It’s both relieving and heartbreaking at the same time.
She sighs and inches closer to rest her head down against his shoulder. Above them the first stars begin to glitter in the night sky.
“It has been a weird year,” he says quietly.
Annie nods against him. She’s pretty sure she doesn’t need to add that he’s been weird, like they’re starting all over again and he’s trying extra hard not to let these crazy people actually be his friends.
“It’ll get better.”
The hint of promise there makes Annie smile.
“Come on though. You have to admit, that flag was kind of funny.” He raises an eyebrow and tilts his head down to meet her eyes.
Annie snorts, trying to duck her face under a curtain of hair. Jeff laughs and shifts, curling his arm up around her shoulder, turning her against him in a side hug.
His warmth envelops her and she has to hold back a sigh of contentment.
“I should have called you this summer.”
For a split second she thinks she’s imagined it, like those mini-daydreams she has in the study room where he’s looking at her instead of Britta. But her face is pressed against his chest and she can feel the way he exhales as he speaks.
She closes her eyes, not entirely sure what that means. It feels like enough for right now though. She settles for shrugging her shoulders and inching slightly closer. His arm stays where it is.
Spoilers: Through 2.04
Word Count: 716
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I do not own Community.
Description: Missing moment from Basic Rocket Science
Author's Note:0penhearts = BEST BETA EVER
Previous Chapters
IV: Design
The sun has already dipped low into the horizon when the last news van drives away, the crowd dispersing into the night.
Annie perches at the edge of the stage, swinging her legs back and forth, hunched over with her chin cupped in the palm of her hand. She stares intently at the outline of the Greendale library and administrative buildings.
Everything looks too bland and non-descript in the fading light. It could almost be any school, in any state - any community college at least. She’s pretty sure there’d be no mistaking Greendale for a Harvard or a Columbia or even a University of Denver.
Of course, Harvard doesn’t have a Space Bus. (She thinks.)
Out of the corner of her eye she sees someone slide up and take a seat next to her.
Annie closes her eyes and counts to twenty.
“I’m sorry about today,” she finally whispers, quietly.
Jeff huffs out a laugh. “Well. We probably wouldn’t have even been there if I hadn’t ratted us out about the flag.”
Annie tries not to smile but she can’t help the way her lips twitch in amusement. She ducks her head down and Jeff laughs again.
“If you imply in any way that you’re proud of me for that, I will kill myself.”
It takes a second but she finally manages to cough back a grin and shake her head with a look of faux seriousness. Jeff just scrubs his hands over his face, letting out a sound of mixed irritation and wow, who the hell am I now?
Annie really really wishes she had an answer to that question. For both of them.
The faint sound of crickets fills the air all around them and it’s long moment before either of them speaks again. Annie picks at a stray string in the seam of her jumpsuit.
“You were really going to transfer because of our design?”
She looks at him, startled. He’s squinting into the distance.
“I-”
But she’s not really sure what to say, if there’s even anything to say that won’t make it all sound utterly ridiculous.
Because this little bubble of security we had built around ourselves burst at the beginning of the year and I feel like it’s my fault. And I feel like everyone else thinks it’s my fault. And maybe I really would like at least one part of my life not to be a complete joke.
When he looks back down at her a crooked smile plays across his face and she knows she doesn’t need to explain. Of course he gets it. He’s been here the whole time (even if it hasn’t always felt like it lately) and he’s got this uncanny way of seeing the things that she doesn’t want to admit are there.
It’s both relieving and heartbreaking at the same time.
She sighs and inches closer to rest her head down against his shoulder. Above them the first stars begin to glitter in the night sky.
“It has been a weird year,” he says quietly.
Annie nods against him. She’s pretty sure she doesn’t need to add that he’s been weird, like they’re starting all over again and he’s trying extra hard not to let these crazy people actually be his friends.
“It’ll get better.”
The hint of promise there makes Annie smile.
“Come on though. You have to admit, that flag was kind of funny.” He raises an eyebrow and tilts his head down to meet her eyes.
Annie snorts, trying to duck her face under a curtain of hair. Jeff laughs and shifts, curling his arm up around her shoulder, turning her against him in a side hug.
His warmth envelops her and she has to hold back a sigh of contentment.
“I should have called you this summer.”
For a split second she thinks she’s imagined it, like those mini-daydreams she has in the study room where he’s looking at her instead of Britta. But her face is pressed against his chest and she can feel the way he exhales as he speaks.
She closes her eyes, not entirely sure what that means. It feels like enough for right now though. She settles for shrugging her shoulders and inching slightly closer. His arm stays where it is.