Just Until I Know What I'm Feeling (3b/3)
Summary: It's the study group's sixth year at Greendale, and Jeff's in love with Annie. Too bad she doesn't know that. Yet.
Spoilers: If you've watched through s5, nothing should be spoiled for you.
Word Count: 9,230
Rating/Warnings: M-rating here we are. Smut ho!
Disclaimer: These character's belong to Dan Harmon, etc., etc. I simply enjoy manipulating them.
Author's Note: Thank you, bethanyactually, for being a dedicated, careful, and overall wonderful human being. The title comes from a Four Star Mary song called "She Knows."
Sorry for the wait. I hope you find this worth the anticipation. ;)
[Part 3a]
"I love you, Annie."
It's liberating, finally saying the words out loud. To her. His skin is buzzing and his entire body is quivering with adrenaline.
And she's smiling like she's so proud of him-like she loves him back. She reaches out to cup his cheek in her soft, smooth palm, to rub her thumb gently along his temple.
He raises his eyebrows, silently asking for her to say something-anything-in response.
Annie ducks her head, sheepish. "I know," she says, finally.
"Come again?"
She looks back up at him, grinning guiltily. "I know. Britta told me a while ago."
Jeff gapes, floundering for something to say.
"Don't be mad at her," Annie pleads. "Things were so tense between us when she told me. I think she just wanted some peace in the group."
"I-" Nope, he's got nothing. "When?"
Thankfully, Annie understands despite the brevity of his question. "The night of the disastrous double date." She winces apologetically.
Jeff stands, his mind reaching back. Britta hadn't wasted any time at all. "Well then. I guess that's what I get for telling Britta a secret." Damn her for stealing his thunder. "Though she did deserve to know about Borchert's lab and everything."
Annie cocks her head delicately. "What about Borchert's lab?"
Jeff's eyebrows draw together in confusion. "I mean, I owed her an explanation, you know? For the stupid engagement and my realizing I was in love with you.”
He can practically hear the click in Annie’s brain as she puts it together, though he figured if Britta had blabbed that she’d’ve blabbed everything.
Apparently not.
“You…the door?” Annie asks.
“It was you,” Jeff confirms. “Blast of passion and all that.” He rubs at the back of his neck, suddenly nervous under her intense stare. The flared nostrils aren’t helping.
Annie jumps to her feet. “You’ve known you had feelings for me since last May!?” Jeff takes a few cautionary steps back, nodding. “So you mean to tell me,” she yells, “that we could have been snuggling and kissing and,” she gasps, “having sex…EIGHT months ago!?” Her voice, already shrill, rises an octave when she hits the ‘eight.’
“I guess technically, but I-”
Annie starts screaming. Like, a-monkey-stole-all-my-pens-but-I-suspect-one-of-my-closest-friends screaming. Jeff's wondering if he should fear for his life when Annie suddenly charges full tilt at him.
“What the-” Jeff starts, but she knocks the wind out of him as she tackles him over the back of his couch. She lands on top of him, her elbow digging into his chest, and his head knocks against the armrest.
But he doesn’t even have time to feel the pain. She rights herself on top of him and, a second later, is kissing him, all soft lips and aggressive intentions.
All of her anger is being channeled into the kiss and he’s struggling to keep up and, fuck, she catches his lower lip between her teeth and tugs.
The beginnings of a moan rumble in the back of his throat. “Annie.” Her hands grip at his chest through his button-down shirt, her nails scraping roughly through the fabric.
One of his arms is pinned against the couch underneath him, but he wraps the other one all the way around her waist and pulls her closer. It earns him a hum of approval and the exploration of Annie’s tongue.
As he returns her curiosity in kind, savoring the taste of her strawberry lip balm on his tongue, Jeff rubs his palm against her back. He locates the hem of her adorably fuzzy and tantalizingly tight sweater and hikes it up a few inches, the pads of his fingers feeling the bare expanse of her lower back for the first time. It’s warm and smooth and he wants to nip at the skin there.
Annie squirms against his roaming fingers, which have moved to tease the upwards curve just under the waist of her jeans, and giggles against his mouth.
“Jeff,” she whines, pulling away only far enough to look him in the eye. “That tickles, and I’m trying to be angry at you.”
He smirks. “Oh, I’m sure that’ll come again. Just give it time.” She huffs, and he kisses the tip of her nose on impulse. She gets this starry-eyed look that makes him wish he could pull her even closer. His fingers tighten possessively and she wriggles again. “So, you’re ticklish here, huh?” He stops putting so much pressure on the expanse of skin and instead lets his fingers trail, feather-light, back down the sensitive arch of her lower back.
Annie mewls softly and grinds down on him.
Every nerve in his body-but especially those in a certain appendage-seems to fire endorphins at his brain at once.
“Shit, Annie,” he gasps as she trails kisses and pinching, little bites along his jaw and then down his neck. “I wanna-” He tries to wrench his arm free, to no avail. “Bedroom?”
She perks up, hopping off him at once.
He groans as he heaves himself up, feeling the prickles of circulation returning to his arm.
“Are you okay?” she asks, biting her lower lip. It's bright red from their making out, and he marvels at that for a moment before answering.
“I was tackled onto a hard piece of furniture by five feet of rage, so I’d say I’m doing pretty well, all things considered.”
She rolls her eyes, unsympathetic. “We could have had a slow, gentle first time at the beginning of summer but somebody was too busy being a knucklehead.”
He takes a few strides forward and looms over her before tugging her flush against him. She whimpers, her eyes wide and dusky with lust.
“I guess we’ll have to settle for a fast and rough first time.”
Annie smirks, grabbing both his hands and tugging him to his bedroom, walking backward like she already owns the place.
As soon as they've navigated into the room, Jeff leans down to pick up where they left off. She's so tiny; kissing her is going to give him a bad back. He may have to start picking her up more.
He settles on the edge of his bed to alleviate the strain, easing himself down so as to not mess with their rhythm too much. To his unending glee, Annie crawls over him, her knees settling on either side of his hips. Jeff runs his palms over her jean-clad thighs, up her sides, and then wraps both his arms around her, one of his hands sliding up her spine to cup the back of her head.
Annie's grips the collar of his shirt as she finds her balance and then her fingers dance to the first fastened button. She undoes it, and then another, and then another. Her cool fingertips tease the skin where his neck flows into his sternum.
It tickles a little, and he half-snorts, half-laughs into their kiss, which only makes her smile in response. She smooths her palms around either side of his neck, teasing the point where his hairline ends.
After a moment of blissful, mind-boggling making out, Annie pulls away.
Jeff's protest dies on his lips as she fingers the hem of her sweater in a split-second of uncertainty before pulling it over her head.
He has to lean away a little to get a better look at her. Her hair's disheveled and falls in messy, silky waves to her ribs. She's wearing this simple, cute blue bra with tiny black heart-shaped polka-dots all over it, and, fuck fuck fuck, would it be inappropriate for him to fall forward and bury his face in her cleavage?
Not diving in-hah-quite that fast, Jeff decides to instead run his lips across her collarbone. Annie lets her head fall back, giving him access, and Jeff nips at the skin of her neck before kissing his way down to the tops of her breasts. He skims his nose along the satiny skin, inhaling deep breath after deep breath of her fruity-smelling body wash.
Her head falls lazily forward again, and her fingers move to finish their work on his shirt. She gets all the buttons undone that she can reach and then tries to tug the tails of the shirt out from his slacks with a grumpy groan of frustration. "I should be both giving and receiving of nudity here."
He laughs against her shoulder, where he's nosing the strap of her bra aside, because honestly. How can someone be so cute and sexy at the same time?
Jeff shrugs out of the shirt without pitching her off his lap and holds his arms out, presenting himself to her. "Happy?"
"Mmmhmmmmm," she drawls, her eyelashes fluttering. She grips his shoulders in both her hands, squeezing, before tracing her fingers down along the curves of muscle on his chest. She leaves pimpled flesh in her wake, and he closes his eyes and hums at the feeling.
She pushes him flat on his back when he least expects it, and he falls into the plush of his mattress without resistance. He's reveling in the feeling of her draped over him-skin to skin after six years of tension-when she changes the whole game by teasing her tongue against one of his nipples.
"Shit," Jeff's pelvis jerks up in response. Annie giggles with delight and pinches the nub between her teeth.
Suddenly he's hyperaware of how tight and unnecessary his pants are.
He rolls them over, kissing Annie deeply before sitting up and undoing the clasp of the offending pants.
Following suit, Annie worms her way out of her jeans. She's got these scant black panties on, blue hearts peppered across the material, that are fancy enough to make him think she was hopeful something like this would happen. He grins down at her as she backs herself up onto the center of the mattress, appreciating the way the softness of her toned stomach flows into her hips which flow into her tantalizing legs.
And she's eyeing him back, her eyes trailing down his body in a way that makes him feel justified for the years of rigorous workouts.
He crawls over her. She's never seemed smaller to him than in this moment, peering up at him with darkened eyes and a happy smile that makes him wish for a photographic memory. "I love you," he says again because he can and because he feels the emotion in every corner of his body. It's as physically present as the blood in his veins.
Her eyes soften a little and she drags smooth fingertips over his cheekbone. "I love you, too."
Jeff lowers himself, groaning at how warm and incredibly soft she is, and kisses her. He shifts his weight so he can trail a finger along her cleavage and search for the clasp on her bra.
Annie laughs at him after several seconds without success. "It's in the back," she informs him and then-in an impressively quick maneuver-leans forward and undoes it before falling against the mattress again.
She lets Jeff peel it away from her skin, so he does it slowly to savor the moment. Call him sentimental, but he's been waiting for this since his annoying, pretty, crazy friend Annie decided to loosen up by ambushing him with a kiss during a debate competition.
And, damn, he's expended a lot of brainpower thinking about what her breasts look like, but nothing's prepared him for being faced with real, touchable Annie.
His eyes widen and he knows that he's ogling, but Annie doesn't seem to mind. She smirks up at him, her fingers threaded in his hair, and-when she's fed up with his inaction-she tugs him down for more kisses.
Jeff indulges in the comforting rhythm of Annie's lips moving against his for a moment before he starts making his way down her body. He leaves breathless, open-mouthed kisses along her neck, her clavicle, and the stretch of soft skin situated between her breasts till he really can't restrain himself anymore. He kisses up the hill of one only to move down and back up the other. He kisses spirals around the sensitive flesh.
Annie writhes under him the whole time, letting him know what really gets her worked up with soft huffs and plenty of hip jerking.
He could actually spend the rest of the day in this very position, but, eventually, Annie pushes him down further, insisting on a new activity. He obliges, placing simple pecks in a straight line down her stomach to the band of her underwear.
She’s quivering under him, and he indulges himself in a nip at her hip bone, which makes her moan loudly. "Today, Jeff," she pleads.
He laughs at that. "So this is okay?" he asks, hooking a finger under the elastic and tugging a little.
"God, yes."
With her permission, he pulls the last of Annie's clothing off and is rewarded with the gorgeous picture of her sprawled, nude, on his bed.
Yes, a photographic memory would be nice.
He slides himself between her thighs and pulls her hips forward. She gasps and their eyes meet for a moment before he leans in to drag his tongue over her.
"Mmm," she moans her approval and her fingers find their way back into his hair. Her grip gets tighter, tugging at his roots, when he moves his tongue a certain way or flicks it against her clit. He's going to enjoy finding all the buttons he can push to make her come undone.
And come undone she does. He hasn't even been working for long before she's pulling on his hair in earnest. "Jeeeeff." Her muscles jerk, and his name is drawn from her lips in a reverberating hum. And then she relaxes.
He places a final kiss over her before pulling back and wiping his face on the back of his hand. He deftly retrieves a condom from his nightstand as he discards his boxer briefs.
Annie's chuckling happily as he prepares himself-no doubt riding the aftershocks of her orgasm-looking like a flushed, satisfied goddess. The morning sun is streaming into the room at just the right angle to make her strawberries-and-cream skin glow.
When he kneels in between her thighs, she wraps her hand around him and Jeff’s hips jerk in response. He stills her building pumps after a moment, though. "I'm feeling an urgent need to be inside you," he says.
"Oh," her eyelids flutter cutely and she lays back.
Jeff lines himself up and is about to push in when she whines with displeasure. "What's wrong?" He has to crane his neck to look down at her face. She's so short that the top of her head is only in line with his chin.
"I mean, this position could be a lot of fun," Annie demonstrates her point by leaning up and easily taking one of his nipples into her mouth. Jeff moans and he feels another surge of urgency. "But I've always envisioned our first time being more…face-to-face."
"Done a lot of envisioning, have you?"
Annie rolls her eyes. "Like you haven't."
He doesn’t argue. "Well, it's not my fault that you're freakishly short."
"I'm average! If anything you're freaki-" She stops herself and takes a deep breath. "No matter. I have an idea. Lie down on your back."
Intrigued, Jeff does as he's told.
Annie fumbles on top of him, her long hair tickling his face.
“A little help here,” she says after a second of struggle.
Jeff waggles his eyebrows and guides himself into her as she eases down to straddle his hips.
They both emit loud moans.
And, hot molten lava, Annie Edison nude and on top of him is the sexiest thing he’s ever seen. She smirks down at him-looking pretty pleased with herself-then flips her hair over her shoulder, digs her nails into his abdomen, and starts moving.
“Fuck, Annie,” Jeff pants.
“I was right,” she laughs with bated breath, “this is much better.”
“Uh-huh.”
Jeff takes several more moments to just watch Annie before he decides to do his share of the work and thrusts up.
They move together, experimenting with speed and roughness. When he’s getting close-and she’s slowing down from exertion-Jeff uses the pad of his thumb to circle her clit.
“Oh, yes,” Annie tosses her hair back and, yeah, he’s about to be a goner. “Again please.”
“Yes, milady,” Jeff manages to groan, twisting the sensitive nub between his thumb and forefinger. She tightens around him in a rush of wetness and a few beats later he follows her, wading into a flood of endorphins.
She slumps on top of him for a moment before sliding off and collapsing next to him. He puts his arm around her and pulls her into his side. Annie nuzzles her head into his chest with a contented sigh.
He flexes his arm around her, rubbing her arm in lazy strokes. “That was fucking amazing.”
“May,” Annie shakes her head and her hair tickles at his chin. “We could have been doing this since May.”
He kisses the top of her head, rolling his eyes and pulling away to dispose of the condom and clean himself off. Once she’s settled back against him, they fall silent for some time and bask in some serious afterglow. Though it's morning, Jeff feels a sleepiness that comes from total satisfaction.
Suddenly, Annie bolts upright. “What time is it?”
Jeff checks his watch. “A quarter to nine.”
“We have classes in 45 minutes! Crap, crap, crap.”
They both scramble out of bed. Annie races to the bathroom, and Jeff redresses before fiddling with his hair in the mirror. She comes back into the room after a moment, gathering her clothes and hurriedly tugging them back on.
"How do I look?" she asks, her teeth worrying at her lower lip as she combs through her hair with her fingers. "I'm going for a 'Slept through My Alarm' kind of disheveled and not 'I Just Had Sex'." He gives her a once-over, but the sweater really is quite tight and has an enticing V-neck, so he gets a little distracted. "Jeff," Annie whines. "Focus."
"I am."
She crosses her arms over her chest, but that just enhances the effect. Jeff smirks.
"You're no help," she huffs.
She turns to charge out of the room, but Jeff catches her wrist and spins her into a kiss. "You look great," he assures. "And we're not going to be late. If anything, we'll have time to spare."
She kisses him once more before rushing into the living room. "I like to get to my classes fifteen minutes early. I need time to prepare or else I feel late. And we never ate breakfast. Oh, god."
"Annie, relax." Jeff says as he blows out the candles on the table. He'll have to clean up the rest when he gets home. "You shouldn't drive all worked up." He grabs them both a granola bar out of his pantry and tosses her one.
She nods, taking a few deep breaths as she shrugs into her coat and slings her backpack onto her shoulder. He retrieves his briefcase, puts on his own coat, and grabs his keys.
They hold hands in the elevator, and Jeff's mind reels. So much happened in the last hour, it seems surreal.
They part in the lobby of his building with a kiss and a promise of "see you soon." (He gets to kiss her whenever he wants. Surreal.)
Jeff takes the 15 minute ride in silence, his mind cataloguing the influx of sensory input. Like the taste of her skin, the way she smells especially and potently Annie at the soft hollow right under her ear, the raspy moan she'd made when they fit together for the first time.
And then he has to spend some time actively thinking about things that turn him off because he can't very well show up to teach class with an erection.
She’s right behind him the whole time, and she eases her car into the spot next to him when they get to Greendale.
"I'll see you at the committee meeting at 2:30, right?" She's talking as soon as they exit their cars.
"I'll be there," he confirms.
After dazzling him with a smile and bouncing up on her tip-toes to give him a kiss, she takes off running for her class.
Even though it might make him a few minutes late, he stays to watch till she disappears.
###
She keeps getting distracted.
As her professors ramble on about assignments and expectations for the semester, Annie's mind wanders to Jeff's kitchen…his bedroom. She remembers the way he looked at her, and it makes her tingle in all the right places. She finds herself doodling what she can remember of his speech in fancy script in her notebook.
And, for the first time in maybe her entire life, Annie Edison doesn’t ask a single question during her classes because she has more important things to occupy her mind, thank you very much.
Her head is still so abuzz with all the new and exciting and naked Jeff, that she almost doesn’t notice real Jeff waiting for her on the steps of the library.
“Hey,” he jumps to his feet when he sees her, all smiles and lingering looks. (She’ll have to remember that he really likes this sweater.) “How was class?”
“Yeah,” she nods. He cocks his head at her, smirking. “Sorry, I’ve been a little preoccupied today.”
Jeff waggles his eyebrows and pulls her to him. She puts up exactly zero resistance. “Any reason in particular?”
“One or two come to mind,” she says breathlessly.
“Hey, everybody!” Leonard shouts. “Winger’s got a giiiiirlfriend!”
“Shut up, Leonard,” Jeff retorts, still holding Annie tightly to him. “I can hear your bones rattle when you walk.”
Leonard walks away, grumbling about missed opportunities and vengeance.
Annie shakes her head at Jeff but can’t keep the smile off her face. “We should go inside.”
They hold hands for the short walk up the front steps to the study room door, and then break apart to go to their respective seats.
Abed is the only one already in the room, and he pumps his fist when he sees them together. "Joss Whedon would be proud."
“Huh?”
Jeff rolls his eyes. "That was Abed-speak for 'I'm happy for you guys'."
Abed nods, confirming this.
Britta and Duncan walk into the room together then, in the middle of a conversation. “I’ve devised the perfect system of negative reinforcement, you see," Duncan's saying. "Whenever someone asks a question, I prattle on so as to discourage meaningful discussion.”
“Ah, yes, classic conditioning," Britta nods thoughtfully as she sits down in her regular chair. Duncan takes his place next to Jeff.
Troy is the next to arrive, and he takes a deep breath as soon as he's in the door. "Ah," he sighs contentedly, "the study room smell. One part musty books, two parts pot, and two parts old hot dog water." He shimmies to his old seat and makes a show of settling in before engaging Abed in their handshake.
"Not that it isn't amazing to have you back," Annie says, "but what are you doing here? I thought you were working at Hawthorne Wipes."
"I still do. But since I'm taking Pierce's place, they said I need to get a feel for what he did there. And then they sent me here."
"Nice," Abed flashes a thumbs-up.
"Plus, I don't know anything about shares or corporate responsibility or pension. I've overheard, like, eight different people talk about getting their ducks in a row before they settle a deal. Clearly they’re important to successfully selling wipes, but no one will tell me where we keep them. So I'm gonna get a business degree."
"I’m sure you’ll learn all about where they keep the ducks in Business 101,” Jeff assures him.
Annie tries to kick him under the table-aiming toward the center of the table so as to connect with Jeff’s outstretched legs-but she nails Professor Duncan’s foot. He gives her a funny look, and Annie flushes, diverting her gaze.
“Hello!” Shirley says cheerily as she enters the room. “Sorry I’m late. There was a post-lunch rush, and I had to wait for a lull to close up shop.” She giggles, pleased.
Annie squeezes her arm when she sits down.
“Where’s Chang?” Britta asks. Then adds, “I didn’t kidnap him, in case anyone thinks so little of me they'd accuse me of such a reprehensible act.”
"You had motive, means, and opportunity," Jeff rolls his eyes.
"Your face has motive, means, and opportunity."
"Good one."
Annie drops her binder onto the table to stop their squabbling and passes around the agenda. “He never answered any of my emails or texts about his teaching schedule, so for all I know he has class right now.”
“Ha!” Chang appears, his head popping out from a missing tile in the ceiling over the second, unused table in the room. “I only teach online classes.”
Everyone screams.
“How did you even get up there?” Annie asks, incredulous.
“My bat friends let me up. They were hesitant to accept me at first, but the monkey gave me a character reference.”
“Get down!”
Chang drops himself onto the floor and brushes dust off the front of his shirt.
“Bats can have rabies,” Abed says. “You should probably go to the nurse.”
Chang doesn't seem to hear him, though. He notices Troy in his seat and rushes over, puffing out his chest. “You think because you’re back you can just steal my place in the study group, in Abed’s heart!? Well then you’ve got another think coming because-”
Troy holds up his hands in surrender.
“Oi!” Duncan yells. “Just sit in the empty chair next to him, you clot.”
“We’re not technically a study group anymore, and your place in my heart is limited to interest in the crazy things you do,” Abed adds helpfully.
Chang falls into Pierce’s old seat and pouts.
“Great,” Annie claps her hands to get everyone’s attention. She’s missed this all break, and her eyes slide around the table of her friends.
Jeff’s gentle and adoring smile distracts her so much that she loses her train of thought and trails off.
“Aren’t you going to do something lame and procedural like read the minutes from our last meeting?” Britta prompts.
“Hm? Oh! Right, yes. If everyone would like to follow along on their agenda…”
Things are going according to schedule until the flow of the meeting is disrupted by Annie's announcements.
“As some of you already know,” Annie starts as soon as they finish discussing their goals for the semester. “I sent around a poll to the students of Greendale over winter break about fundraising for our upcoming student showcase. Because someone can’t follow directions-”
“You’re welcome,” Abed inserts.
“A write-in idea won.”
“By a landslide,” Abed raises his eyebrows pointedly.
“Nothing is confirmed-so I need you guys to keep quiet about this-buuuut...” she draws out the suspense.
“We’re going to play Paintball Assassins, us versus the entire school.”
“Abed!”
“You were taking too long.”
Annie slumps in her seat. "What he said."
Everyone at the table starts murmuring with excitement.
"It'll be like that scene in Kill Bill when The Bride fights the Crazy 88," Troy bounces in his seat.
"Or like when the lower class enacts their revolution in Snowpiercer," Abed replies.
"We can dress all stealthy and crawl through the air ducts," Britta adds.
"I'll get the bats to help us!" Chang jumps out of his chair. Shirley pulls him back down into his seat.
"Guys," Annie says, "let's not put the cart before the horse. We can't hold the game here, and unless we find a suitable location it won't happen at all."
"We should sneak onto City College's campus and have it there," Duncan says. "There's this psychology professor there, Dr. Freud-no relation to that Austrian wanker despite his suggestive email signature-who's always sending me his publications just to rub them in my face. I want to defecate in his desk."
"Ew," Annie squeals, scooting closer to Shirley.
"That's a great way to land Greendale a lawsuit it can't reasonably pay for," Jeff points out.
"Pierce's mansion," Troy exclaims. "I'll have to talk to Gilbert, but it's big enough."
Annie points excitedly at him before scribbling a note in her binder.
Abed nods approvingly at Troy. "We're familiar with the layout, so that helps balance the odds."
"It's a good idea," Annie agrees. "Let me know what Gilbert says about it, okay?" Troy nods. "Okay, great, we'll table the discussion of paintball until we have more information. Onto the next order of business. Give yourselves a round of applause for completing 53 grant proposals over the fall semester."
The group claps, and when the noise dies down, Jeff adds, "Now let's give Annie a round of applause because she probably did more than half of those by herself."
"Aww," Annie flushes with appreciation as they congratulate her. "I couldn't have done it without you guys. Anyway, of those 53 proposals, we've been awarded four. Which sounds dismal, I know, but that's a collective $60,500 for the school. And the salary to support a new STEM faculty member, thanks to Shirley, who wrote the proposal for the Marie Curie grant."
Everyone oohs and ahhs, and Shirley gives herself a congratulatory "You go girl" complete with snaps.
"Now, I'd like to get just as many-if not more-out this semester. At the end of your agendas you'll find a new list of grants we should target."
Everyone groans.
"I figured since you're sleeping with Jeff now we'd get a semester off," Britta grumbles.
Jeff and Annie freeze, their gazes locking.
Duncan snaps his fingers in understanding. "That's what the footsie was about." Jeff quirks an eyebrow at Annie, who clears her throat.
"Well, since the topic's been broached," she hedges.
"Annie and I are, in fact, together. You better get your digs in now, you goons," Jeff finishes for her.
"That's nice," Shirley trills, grabbing Annie's hand and squeezing.
"I thought you guys had been doing it for years," Chang snorts. "Suckers."
Annie catches Jeff's eye and mouths the word May. He rolls his eyes at her, grinning.
"Mushy banana of love," Troy waggles his eyebrows at Jeff.
"Excuse me?"
"That's Troy-speak for 'I'm happy for you guys'," Annie clarifies. Then, since it seems like everyone’s had their say, she adds, “That’s all we have to talk about unless anyone else has an announcement.”
Duncan clears his throat meaningfully and Britta slams the table. “Oh, totally! Okay, so, since Duncan’s been unable to do anything meaningful with his career-”
“Hey!” he protests. His goofy smile at Britta dulls the effect of the indignation, though.
“He’s letting me run an experiment this semester. We’re going to get people with issues to come to a therapy session. Half the people will go to him, half to me. Then they take an exit survey. Six weeks later, we get the same people to come back, only they see the opposite person, and then take the same exit survey. It’s going to be a therapy revolution.”
“We’re not really sure what we’re trying to prove yet,” Duncan says, “but it’s at least as organized as anything I’ve tried before.”
“Obviously you guys can’t participate, but we were hoping you’d help administer the surveys.”
“I’m in,” Annie smiles at Britta, who bumps her fists together appreciatively.
“As long as it doesn’t cut into business hours, I’ll be there,” Shirley promises.
Annie shoots Jeff a significant look.
He huffs. “Yeah, alright, I’ll probably be around.”
“I already made posters to hang around campus,” Britta says eagerly, pulling a stack of paper out of her bag.
The design is cluttered. The only clearly legible words are the title, written in the ‘Got Milk?’ ad font: Got Issues?
“These are terrible,” Abed scoffs as if they personally offend him. “I’m going to make you better posters.”
“Dope.”
Abed shakes his head mournfully at her.
Rachel sticks her head into the room then. “Hey everybody,” she waves. “Abed, you ready to help me film that video for the nursing home?”
“Rachel’s working on her volunteer hours for her social engineering degree,” Abed tells the group proudly. “Coming,” he promises her as he gathers his things.
“Meeting adjourned, I guess,” Annie says as Abed leaves.
Troy turns to Shirley. “Will you help me make a schedule? I’m going to be a business major.”
“Oh,” Shirley claps her hands. “Of course, sweetie. Walk with me back to the sandwich shop?”
They leave, chatting about the available courses.
“I might go to the nurse, after all,” Chang sighs. “I don’t feel so well.”
Britta rolls her eyes. “I’ll take you there, Señor Crazypants.”
“I’ve got a class,” Duncan pats Britta on the shoulder as he leaves. She smiles up at him before getting her own stuff and tugging Chang out of his chair.
And then Jeff and Annie are alone again.
Annie feels strangely nervous, excitement tingling in the pit of her stomach. “So,” she says.
“So,” he responds.
“Want to go make out in your office till I have class?”
Jeff’s practically out the door before she’s finished her sentence.
Annie hurries to follow after him, giggling all the way.
###
They haven’t even been dating for a week when they have their first fight as a couple.
Annie works an eight hour shift at Barnes and Noble on Saturday, and she’s coming straight from the mall to stay the night at Jeff’s for the first time.
Spurred on by anticipation, he spends the day cleaning his bathroom, washing the sheets on his bed, and stocking up on groceries that he thinks Annie might like.
He’s matching pillowcases with their designated pillows when his phone buzzes in his pocket.
“Hey,” Jeff answers. “Done at work?”
“Finally,” Annie confirms, sounding tired and distracted. “I’m on my way over. Can I use your shower when I get there? I feel stale.”
“Of course.”
There’s some rustling on her end of the line and then she’s saying, “I gotta go. Be there in thirty.”
Jeff finishes making the bed and then sits to watch TV-his leg bouncing with nervous energy-until there’s a knock at his door.
She falls into his chest the moment he has the door open, and Jeff sighs with relief before running his fingers through the hair of her ponytail. “Hi,” he smiles into the top of her head.
“Hi,” Annie’s breath is hot and soaks into the fabric of his t-shirt.
“How was work?” he asks, pulling her a few steps inside the threshold so he can close the door. She drops a duffle bag on the ground.
“Many books,” Annie says shortly.
“You okay?”
She nods, nuzzling into his chest, and squeezes him tighter. “Just dazed. And my feet hurt.”
Jeff kisses the top of her head. “Well, we have the whole evening ahead of us, and then an entire day with nothing to do after that. Should be enough time to rejuvenate you.”
Annie hums and pulls away to look up at his face. Her hands slide from his back to settle at his hips, and she tugs at his shirt.
Jeff gets what she wants and leans down to kiss her.
“Hmm,” he licks his lips. “Stale Annie.”
Her eyes glimmer with amusement. “I should go shower.”
“Okay.”
“Really, I plan to move any time now.”
“Whatever you feel is necessary.”
She lets her head fall into his chest again and inhales deeply. “Okay, I’m really going now.” But she doesn’t move for several moments more, and Jeff snorts.
Annie pulls away, grinning sheepishly at him, and slides her backpack off her shoulders. Then she retrieves the duffle bag and springs up on her tip-toes to give Jeff a peck on the lips before heading for the bathroom.
“Want me to make dinner while you’re in the shower?”
Annie twirls to face him, hand on the door handle. “I’m not hungry yet. Plus, I want to help.”
He shakes his head, smiling warmly at her. “Okay.”
She’s about to close the door behind her but pauses, suddenly serious. “You know we can’t spend all of tomorrow doing nothing, right? I have a lot to get done.”
He rolls his eyes. “Whatever you say, Neurotically Negative Nancy.”
She sticks her tongue out at him. “You promised to proofread the script for my Governmental Procedures skit.”
“I didn’t forget,” he assures her.
She gives him a business-like nod, and then closes the door.
Jeff’s not quite sure what to do with himself while Annie showers. He entertains the idea of joining her, egged on by the noise of the water running. It makes him hyperaware that she’s in there, naked and sudsy.
But he resists, not sure she’d be comfortable with that. (And makes a mental note to ask her opinion on shower sex.)
He bounces his fist against his hip repeatedly and looks around the room. Annie’s backpack-the same purple bag she’s had since freshman year, which fills him with an absurd amount of fondness-is sitting by the door and Jeff goes to move it to the bedroom. The zipper isn’t done all the way and he can see her laptop nestled inside.
An idea strikes him.
They get to spend more time with each other later if he gets work done now. And what if he found the file of her skit, emailed it to himself, and worked on it while she’s showering?
It would be weird, going through her laptop, though. He only knows her password by happenstance (a third-year lab report emergency that he doesn’t like to talk about).
On the other hand, he’s familiar with her document titling system. He’s been on the receiving end of many an email attachment and knows how she organizes things. If he searches “Government Procedures_assignment_Testimony skit” he’s bound to find it. Jeff’s willing to bet the continued existence of his hair on it.
He stands, undecided, in the middle of his room, the backpack clenched in his right fist.
The longer he waits to act at all, the more pointless any action will be.
Jeff swallows his unease, telling himself that Annie won’t mind when she hears his reasoning, and sits on the edge of his bed, sliding the laptop out of the bag. He boots it up and, sure enough, the password is still M@rkRuffal0.
He searches the drive for the document and runs a satisfied hand through his hair when it exists.
He’s just logging onto his email when Annie appears in the doorway to his bedroom, smelling pungently floral and looking scrumptious in plaid pajama pants and the hoodie he lent her during New Years. “Oh, there you a-” Her smile abruptly disappears when she sees her computer perched on his lap, replaced with a scowl. “What are you doing?”
He’d been expecting her to take a longer shower.
And even if he had thought about getting caught, he’d never imagine Annie so furious with him. It catches him off guard and makes him stutter. “I-I thought-”
Annie lunges forward and rips the laptop from his hands, slamming it shut. “This is a total invasion of privacy that I thought you were above!”
“Whoa, there,” he finds his voice. “I was just looking for the skit, there’s no need to overreact.”
Something about his choice of words makes her nostrils flare and her spine straighten. She turns crisply on her heel and charges back into the bathroom, laptop tucked under her arm.
“Wait, what?” he addresses the room. That was…not how he pictured the start of this evening. They were supposed to hang out on the couch for a while, maybe have sex in every room of the apartment. He was going to make them chicken parmesan and not feel guilty for eating whole-wheat pasta.
Now she’s going to spend the night huddled in the bathroom, mad at him for what he can only assume was a huge misunderstanding?
Displeased by the idea, Jeff jumps off his bed and stands in front of the bathroom door. He knocks, then tries the knob, but she’s locked herself in. “Annie,” he addresses the door, “come on. I thought you were going to be longer, and I wanted to get a head start on proofing your skit.”
He hears her scoff disbelievingly.
He rattles the handle and growls in frustration. “I’m serious. Will you please come out and talk to me?”
Silence.
“I didn’t mean to offend you.”
Silence.
“Come on, Annie.”
Still nothing.
“You can’t reasonably stay in there all night. I can wait you out, you know.”
She doesn’t make a peep.
“Please don’t make me wait you out,” he whines.
Several tense heartbeats later, she cracks the door. “I was checking to see what you had open.”
“Oh.” He’s a hairsbreadth away from falling to his knees with relief. “And?”
“It looks like you were sending yourself my skit.”
“Because I was.”
Annie lets the door fall open all the way and hangs her head. Her wet hair is piled into a bun atop her head and a few beads of water inch along her temple. “My mom used to go through my phone and laptop,” she says finally. “Keeping tabs on me or whatever.”
It takes him a second to understand that she’s explaining her reaction. “That sounds…like it sucked.”
She nods and shuffles her feet. He tentatively reaches out his fingers to brush the drops of water away before cupping her cheek in his palm, easing her face up to look at him.
Annie’s eyelashes flutter and then she meets his stare. “I didn’t mean to snap at you like that. I just…it’s an old battle. And it’s not your battle, but you wandered onto the battlefield. I kinda lost it, huh?”
“No,” he assures her. “Well, yes. But parents fuck us up. I know that better than anyone.”
She sighs and her fingers bunch in his t-shirt, pulling him closer. “Thanks, Jeff. I’m sorry.”
He smooths his thumb over her cheekbone. “You’re already forgiven. And I’m sorry, too, for the record. I won’t go through your stuff again without permission.”
Her puckered frown relaxes into a tentative and grateful smile. “You know what?”
“What?”
“I love you.”
He grabs her face in both hands and kisses her, slow and tender. She groans, needy, into his open mouth. When they break away to breathe, resting their foreheads against each other, he laughs and marvels at how easy it is to say: “I love you, too.”
###
Annie’s in the middle of her Genetics class when the dean texts her.
EMERGENCY: come 2 my office
She pales and gathers her things in a hurry.
Greendale faculty are so used to students leaving in the middle of class that Professor Newman only nods at Annie when she pauses at the door, never breaking the flow of the lecture.
After sprinting to the dean’s office, Annie stops by the receptionist’s counter to catch her breath. Rhonda, ever-exasperated, rolls her eyes. “He’s worked himself into a tizzy in there.”
“Do you know what it’s about?”
“Honey, I stopped listening to him blather on years ago.”
Annie nods, squares her shoulders, and knocks on the door. “Dean?” she calls.
The door flies open. “Oh, Annie, thank god you’re here.” He ushers her inside, and she gives him the onceover. He doesn’t look hurt….
“What’s going on?”
Instead of answering, he clings to her and starts whimpering into her shoulder. “I’m useless. A pack of beavers moved into the theater, another coffeemaker’s been fried in the teachers’ lounge because they keep using alcohol instead of water, and I think Starburns is using the stables to grow cannabis again. I can’t do anything right.”
Annie pats his shoulder sympathetically, but, honestly, how has he not come to terms with his own incompetence yet?
“Dean,” she says delicately, “I left class for this. You’re saying there’s no real emergency?”
He breaks away from her and flops onto the couch dramatically, shielding his face with his arm. “No real emergency? No real emergency!? This school is a mess, Annie. And no amount of money or determination is going to fix it. Not while I’m at the helm of this ship. Face it, I destroy everything I touch! Every single school I ran before Greendale shut down.”
“Exactly,” she snaps her fingers. “Before Greendale. Before you found the one place you truly belong.” He moans and she perches on the edge of the couch tentatively. “Could you be doing a better job? Sure. But you care about this place as much as I do. And that counts for something. That’s what most of these students need-someone who cares unconditionally about them. No questions asked, you’re already accepted.”
Dean Pelton sniffles and looks up at her. “I used to think that. That I could make everything better on intention alone. But after six years of barely staying afloat, I’m not so sure. I’m a bad dean.”
Annie stands. “You’re always saying that, expecting people to coddle you and swear it’s not true. But you know, that’s what makes you a bad dean. Your inaction. If you’re struggling, just ask for help! Do something to make yourself a good dean.”
When he doesn’t say anything, she turns to leave. “I heard you and Jeffrey are dating,” he says meekly.
She rounds on him again. “Is that what this is about? You’re having a breakdown over my personal life?”
The dean bursts into tears and Annie immediately regrets snapping. She kicks her foot into the ground once in exasperation, leaving a scuff mark on the floor, and then sits back down next to him. She pulls him into a hug and lets him cry for a while.
Finally, the deluge slows, then stops, and Dean Pelton sits up to grab a box of tissues off his desk without making eye contact. “I feel empty.”
“Because there are now multiple reasons harassing Jeff is unacceptable?”
The dean laughs humorlessly. “No. Maybe a little, if I’m being honest with myself. Though I really like to avoid that when at all possible.” Annie rolls her eyes. “I just. I had my place in the group, and for the past five years I’ve really felt like you guys are my family.”
“We’re not going to stop being your family because the group dynamic has changed a little.”
“But I don’t know who I am or how I fit in and the only time I’ve ever been secure about those things was when I was being the crazy dean for you guys.”
“You deserve better than that, though. You shouldn’t be a gambit in our flying circus. You’re a flying circus all on your own. You deserve to feel good about your job and have a relationship instead of an infatuation. But until you figure out how to get those things for yourself, it’s okay to feel a little lost and empty.”
Dean Pelton wrings a tissue in his hands and nods. “Thanks, Annie.”
She squeezes his shoulder. “Next time you want to talk about life stuff, you don’t need to lure me to your office under false pretenses. Just be honest with me, and I’ll make time for you.”
He smiles sadly at her and- though he’s infuriating-Annie feels affection swell in her chest. “I’m glad Jeff told you about his feelings. It was killing me not to say anything, and you two do make a lovely couple.”
“You knew, too? He was telling everybody but me,” she growls, making a note to punish him later.
The dean stands and brushes himself off. “That boy is a mess, right?”
Annie raises a pointed eyebrow, but the dean is back to being blissfully unaware. “I’m going back to class. You're going to be okay?”
He waves off her concern with a flourish.
Annie nods to Rhonda on her way out and just barely catches the dean’s voice calling, “Rhonda? Get your brainstorming pad out! I need to pick an outfit to scold the teachers about their drinking problem, and it’s got to look authoritative…and frilly!”
###
Life is good.
Like, really good.
Jeff can't remember a time he's been happier. He doesn't have to psych himself up to get out of bed in the morning. He doesn't feel crushingly lonely or misanthropic.
He mostly feels…restful.
Which defies all logic because dating Annie is anything but.
Dating Annie is like getting on one of those spinning carnival rides. She's a powerful force that holds him securely in place and spins him for loop at the same time.
Dating Annie is an endless slideshow of "wouldn't it be fun to learn to knit" and "can you proofread this assignment?" and "we should start a book club; all of Rainbow Rowell’s stuff is fabulous, not just Eleanor & Park!"
She never stops-she barely slows-and Jeff should be exhausted and annoyed. Or, at the very least, confused that he's not exhausted or annoyed.
Instead, he's just restful.
He's watching her now, hunched over Britta's draft of survey questions, using a purple pen to make corrections. She taps the end of it against the tip of her nose when she’s trying to think of a better word or phrase, and it’s maybe the cutest thing he’s ever seen.
The Save Greendale Committee meeting ended fifteen minutes ago, but most of them don't have anywhere else to be. So they’re hanging out. Like old times.
"You can't just explicitly ask if they feel more comfortable talking to a woman because they assume she has maternal instincts," Annie criticizes. "You have to be more subtle than that to avoid influencing the response."
Britta sticks her tongue out. "Okay, Miss Know-It-All. I haven't read the chapter on research methods yet."
Annie gapes at her. "Why wouldn't you do that before writing this?"
"Because I knew you were going to look it over and make it perfect." Britta bats her eyelashes.
"Bleh," Annie shoves the paper back over the table. "Flattery is not going to work. Talk to me once you've done your share of the work."
Britta makes a face that Annie doesn’t see because she's too busy retrieving her laptop from her backpack.
Shirley’s helping Troy with homework. Abed’s planning a weekend getaway for him and Rachel that sounds better suited for Troy, and Chang’s offering insane suggestions. Britta begrudgingly flips to the chapter on research in her psych textbook.
Jeff should be grading the Bill of Rights assignment he gave all his intro classes, but he’s pretty content to alternate between staring into space and watching his friends.
His phone lights up in his hands.
It’s a text from Annie: hey slacker :)
He glances over at her, but she’s fixated on her computer screen. Jeff smirks.
Jeff: i’m not slacking
Annie: fine. hey daydreamer
Jeff: i’m not daydreaming either
Annie: you practically have thought bubbles floating in the air above your head
“I always thought entrepreneurs were people who revolutionized the manure industry.” Troy raps his pencil on the table in agitation. “But they can make anything they want?”
Shirley sighs. “It’s more or less someone who starts their own business.”
Troy slaps the table. “You’re an entrepreneur! I always thought manure and brownies were weird things that didn’t go together, but you were always just talking about having your own business.”
Shirley gives him the same look she gives her children when they're ignoring her commands, like she's imaging creative ways to eliminate him.
Jeff: at least my thought bubbles are full of actual, coherent thoughts
Annie: be nice. Troy's trying really hard to make something of himself.
Jeff: nuh-uh, his goal has always been to make a lot of $$$ w/o having to work v hard
Annie: well then at least he's working to realize those goals :p
Jeff: u r impossible to sway
She sneaks a look at him, this brilliant, wide smile on her face. Jeff has no control over his responding grin.
"Maybe we could ride the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad and go to the museum," Abed muses.
Troy stops puzzling over a question about supply and demand to add, "Nice! Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid."
"Or, or," Chang waves his hands dramatically, "tie her to the tracks like a classic villain and see if she can get out before the train comes. You could even wear your cape!"
Annie: that's the sixth time Chang's suggested Abed murder Rachel in thirty minutes. Do you think we should warn her?
Jeff: meh
Jeff: he’s incompetent and Rachel’s nice and everything, but i’m not really worried
Annie: you're kind of a terrible person, you know that?
Jeff: yeah, but u love me
Annie: I do. I really do.
She's already gazing at him when he looks up, her eyes full of it-her love for him.
His world goes spinning, and he has to look away when he can hear his heart beating in his ear.
Jeff: love u 2
Later that night, he's crawling up the bed after being positioned between her thighs for a considerable amount of time. He settles on his side, and Annie fits perfectly against the scoop of his body, her knees curving at the same angle as his. He can rest his chin on the top of her head, and her hair gets caught in his scruff.
"That was nice," Annie sighs, satiated.
Jeff scoffs. "Just nice?"
"Too sleepy to come up with more fitting adjectives."
He tightens his grip around her and lets himself just exist in this peaceful moment.
"Hey," he says after a bit.
"Mm?"
"Thanks for today."
She strains to look back at him. He can make out the outline of her features in the dark, but not much detail. "What'd I do?"
Jeff buries his face in the hair at her neck, breathing her in. "You were Annie."
He can feel the vibrations of her soft laughter. "I like to be Annie. Especially now."
"You make me especially like being Jeff," he says quietly into the fragrant skin. He's quiet for a while longer before saying, "Remember when you called me out about my constant texting?"
"Hmm." She must have drifted off again. "I call you out a lot. Need specifics."
He smiles. "I believe your exact words were, 'Who are you always texting? Everyone you know is here'."
She shifts in his arms, turning to face him. "Sounds familiar. Why bring it up?"
She's started tracing the basins and bulges at the base of his throat, and it takes a moment for him to catch his breath. "It was nice. Today. Having someone on the other end for once."
He hears her breath catch and then she's kissing him, brushing her soft lips against any skin she has access to. "I'll always be on the other end," she promises.
He kisses her smooth forehead. "I know."
Spoilers: If you've watched through s5, nothing should be spoiled for you.
Word Count: 9,230
Rating/Warnings: M-rating here we are. Smut ho!
Disclaimer: These character's belong to Dan Harmon, etc., etc. I simply enjoy manipulating them.
Author's Note: Thank you, bethanyactually, for being a dedicated, careful, and overall wonderful human being. The title comes from a Four Star Mary song called "She Knows."
Sorry for the wait. I hope you find this worth the anticipation. ;)
[Part 3a]
"I love you, Annie."
It's liberating, finally saying the words out loud. To her. His skin is buzzing and his entire body is quivering with adrenaline.
And she's smiling like she's so proud of him-like she loves him back. She reaches out to cup his cheek in her soft, smooth palm, to rub her thumb gently along his temple.
He raises his eyebrows, silently asking for her to say something-anything-in response.
Annie ducks her head, sheepish. "I know," she says, finally.
"Come again?"
She looks back up at him, grinning guiltily. "I know. Britta told me a while ago."
Jeff gapes, floundering for something to say.
"Don't be mad at her," Annie pleads. "Things were so tense between us when she told me. I think she just wanted some peace in the group."
"I-" Nope, he's got nothing. "When?"
Thankfully, Annie understands despite the brevity of his question. "The night of the disastrous double date." She winces apologetically.
Jeff stands, his mind reaching back. Britta hadn't wasted any time at all. "Well then. I guess that's what I get for telling Britta a secret." Damn her for stealing his thunder. "Though she did deserve to know about Borchert's lab and everything."
Annie cocks her head delicately. "What about Borchert's lab?"
Jeff's eyebrows draw together in confusion. "I mean, I owed her an explanation, you know? For the stupid engagement and my realizing I was in love with you.”
He can practically hear the click in Annie’s brain as she puts it together, though he figured if Britta had blabbed that she’d’ve blabbed everything.
Apparently not.
“You…the door?” Annie asks.
“It was you,” Jeff confirms. “Blast of passion and all that.” He rubs at the back of his neck, suddenly nervous under her intense stare. The flared nostrils aren’t helping.
Annie jumps to her feet. “You’ve known you had feelings for me since last May!?” Jeff takes a few cautionary steps back, nodding. “So you mean to tell me,” she yells, “that we could have been snuggling and kissing and,” she gasps, “having sex…EIGHT months ago!?” Her voice, already shrill, rises an octave when she hits the ‘eight.’
“I guess technically, but I-”
Annie starts screaming. Like, a-monkey-stole-all-my-pens-but-I-suspect-one-of-my-closest-friends screaming. Jeff's wondering if he should fear for his life when Annie suddenly charges full tilt at him.
“What the-” Jeff starts, but she knocks the wind out of him as she tackles him over the back of his couch. She lands on top of him, her elbow digging into his chest, and his head knocks against the armrest.
But he doesn’t even have time to feel the pain. She rights herself on top of him and, a second later, is kissing him, all soft lips and aggressive intentions.
All of her anger is being channeled into the kiss and he’s struggling to keep up and, fuck, she catches his lower lip between her teeth and tugs.
The beginnings of a moan rumble in the back of his throat. “Annie.” Her hands grip at his chest through his button-down shirt, her nails scraping roughly through the fabric.
One of his arms is pinned against the couch underneath him, but he wraps the other one all the way around her waist and pulls her closer. It earns him a hum of approval and the exploration of Annie’s tongue.
As he returns her curiosity in kind, savoring the taste of her strawberry lip balm on his tongue, Jeff rubs his palm against her back. He locates the hem of her adorably fuzzy and tantalizingly tight sweater and hikes it up a few inches, the pads of his fingers feeling the bare expanse of her lower back for the first time. It’s warm and smooth and he wants to nip at the skin there.
Annie squirms against his roaming fingers, which have moved to tease the upwards curve just under the waist of her jeans, and giggles against his mouth.
“Jeff,” she whines, pulling away only far enough to look him in the eye. “That tickles, and I’m trying to be angry at you.”
He smirks. “Oh, I’m sure that’ll come again. Just give it time.” She huffs, and he kisses the tip of her nose on impulse. She gets this starry-eyed look that makes him wish he could pull her even closer. His fingers tighten possessively and she wriggles again. “So, you’re ticklish here, huh?” He stops putting so much pressure on the expanse of skin and instead lets his fingers trail, feather-light, back down the sensitive arch of her lower back.
Annie mewls softly and grinds down on him.
Every nerve in his body-but especially those in a certain appendage-seems to fire endorphins at his brain at once.
“Shit, Annie,” he gasps as she trails kisses and pinching, little bites along his jaw and then down his neck. “I wanna-” He tries to wrench his arm free, to no avail. “Bedroom?”
She perks up, hopping off him at once.
He groans as he heaves himself up, feeling the prickles of circulation returning to his arm.
“Are you okay?” she asks, biting her lower lip. It's bright red from their making out, and he marvels at that for a moment before answering.
“I was tackled onto a hard piece of furniture by five feet of rage, so I’d say I’m doing pretty well, all things considered.”
She rolls her eyes, unsympathetic. “We could have had a slow, gentle first time at the beginning of summer but somebody was too busy being a knucklehead.”
He takes a few strides forward and looms over her before tugging her flush against him. She whimpers, her eyes wide and dusky with lust.
“I guess we’ll have to settle for a fast and rough first time.”
Annie smirks, grabbing both his hands and tugging him to his bedroom, walking backward like she already owns the place.
As soon as they've navigated into the room, Jeff leans down to pick up where they left off. She's so tiny; kissing her is going to give him a bad back. He may have to start picking her up more.
He settles on the edge of his bed to alleviate the strain, easing himself down so as to not mess with their rhythm too much. To his unending glee, Annie crawls over him, her knees settling on either side of his hips. Jeff runs his palms over her jean-clad thighs, up her sides, and then wraps both his arms around her, one of his hands sliding up her spine to cup the back of her head.
Annie's grips the collar of his shirt as she finds her balance and then her fingers dance to the first fastened button. She undoes it, and then another, and then another. Her cool fingertips tease the skin where his neck flows into his sternum.
It tickles a little, and he half-snorts, half-laughs into their kiss, which only makes her smile in response. She smooths her palms around either side of his neck, teasing the point where his hairline ends.
After a moment of blissful, mind-boggling making out, Annie pulls away.
Jeff's protest dies on his lips as she fingers the hem of her sweater in a split-second of uncertainty before pulling it over her head.
He has to lean away a little to get a better look at her. Her hair's disheveled and falls in messy, silky waves to her ribs. She's wearing this simple, cute blue bra with tiny black heart-shaped polka-dots all over it, and, fuck fuck fuck, would it be inappropriate for him to fall forward and bury his face in her cleavage?
Not diving in-hah-quite that fast, Jeff decides to instead run his lips across her collarbone. Annie lets her head fall back, giving him access, and Jeff nips at the skin of her neck before kissing his way down to the tops of her breasts. He skims his nose along the satiny skin, inhaling deep breath after deep breath of her fruity-smelling body wash.
Her head falls lazily forward again, and her fingers move to finish their work on his shirt. She gets all the buttons undone that she can reach and then tries to tug the tails of the shirt out from his slacks with a grumpy groan of frustration. "I should be both giving and receiving of nudity here."
He laughs against her shoulder, where he's nosing the strap of her bra aside, because honestly. How can someone be so cute and sexy at the same time?
Jeff shrugs out of the shirt without pitching her off his lap and holds his arms out, presenting himself to her. "Happy?"
"Mmmhmmmmm," she drawls, her eyelashes fluttering. She grips his shoulders in both her hands, squeezing, before tracing her fingers down along the curves of muscle on his chest. She leaves pimpled flesh in her wake, and he closes his eyes and hums at the feeling.
She pushes him flat on his back when he least expects it, and he falls into the plush of his mattress without resistance. He's reveling in the feeling of her draped over him-skin to skin after six years of tension-when she changes the whole game by teasing her tongue against one of his nipples.
"Shit," Jeff's pelvis jerks up in response. Annie giggles with delight and pinches the nub between her teeth.
Suddenly he's hyperaware of how tight and unnecessary his pants are.
He rolls them over, kissing Annie deeply before sitting up and undoing the clasp of the offending pants.
Following suit, Annie worms her way out of her jeans. She's got these scant black panties on, blue hearts peppered across the material, that are fancy enough to make him think she was hopeful something like this would happen. He grins down at her as she backs herself up onto the center of the mattress, appreciating the way the softness of her toned stomach flows into her hips which flow into her tantalizing legs.
And she's eyeing him back, her eyes trailing down his body in a way that makes him feel justified for the years of rigorous workouts.
He crawls over her. She's never seemed smaller to him than in this moment, peering up at him with darkened eyes and a happy smile that makes him wish for a photographic memory. "I love you," he says again because he can and because he feels the emotion in every corner of his body. It's as physically present as the blood in his veins.
Her eyes soften a little and she drags smooth fingertips over his cheekbone. "I love you, too."
Jeff lowers himself, groaning at how warm and incredibly soft she is, and kisses her. He shifts his weight so he can trail a finger along her cleavage and search for the clasp on her bra.
Annie laughs at him after several seconds without success. "It's in the back," she informs him and then-in an impressively quick maneuver-leans forward and undoes it before falling against the mattress again.
She lets Jeff peel it away from her skin, so he does it slowly to savor the moment. Call him sentimental, but he's been waiting for this since his annoying, pretty, crazy friend Annie decided to loosen up by ambushing him with a kiss during a debate competition.
And, damn, he's expended a lot of brainpower thinking about what her breasts look like, but nothing's prepared him for being faced with real, touchable Annie.
His eyes widen and he knows that he's ogling, but Annie doesn't seem to mind. She smirks up at him, her fingers threaded in his hair, and-when she's fed up with his inaction-she tugs him down for more kisses.
Jeff indulges in the comforting rhythm of Annie's lips moving against his for a moment before he starts making his way down her body. He leaves breathless, open-mouthed kisses along her neck, her clavicle, and the stretch of soft skin situated between her breasts till he really can't restrain himself anymore. He kisses up the hill of one only to move down and back up the other. He kisses spirals around the sensitive flesh.
Annie writhes under him the whole time, letting him know what really gets her worked up with soft huffs and plenty of hip jerking.
He could actually spend the rest of the day in this very position, but, eventually, Annie pushes him down further, insisting on a new activity. He obliges, placing simple pecks in a straight line down her stomach to the band of her underwear.
She’s quivering under him, and he indulges himself in a nip at her hip bone, which makes her moan loudly. "Today, Jeff," she pleads.
He laughs at that. "So this is okay?" he asks, hooking a finger under the elastic and tugging a little.
"God, yes."
With her permission, he pulls the last of Annie's clothing off and is rewarded with the gorgeous picture of her sprawled, nude, on his bed.
Yes, a photographic memory would be nice.
He slides himself between her thighs and pulls her hips forward. She gasps and their eyes meet for a moment before he leans in to drag his tongue over her.
"Mmm," she moans her approval and her fingers find their way back into his hair. Her grip gets tighter, tugging at his roots, when he moves his tongue a certain way or flicks it against her clit. He's going to enjoy finding all the buttons he can push to make her come undone.
And come undone she does. He hasn't even been working for long before she's pulling on his hair in earnest. "Jeeeeff." Her muscles jerk, and his name is drawn from her lips in a reverberating hum. And then she relaxes.
He places a final kiss over her before pulling back and wiping his face on the back of his hand. He deftly retrieves a condom from his nightstand as he discards his boxer briefs.
Annie's chuckling happily as he prepares himself-no doubt riding the aftershocks of her orgasm-looking like a flushed, satisfied goddess. The morning sun is streaming into the room at just the right angle to make her strawberries-and-cream skin glow.
When he kneels in between her thighs, she wraps her hand around him and Jeff’s hips jerk in response. He stills her building pumps after a moment, though. "I'm feeling an urgent need to be inside you," he says.
"Oh," her eyelids flutter cutely and she lays back.
Jeff lines himself up and is about to push in when she whines with displeasure. "What's wrong?" He has to crane his neck to look down at her face. She's so short that the top of her head is only in line with his chin.
"I mean, this position could be a lot of fun," Annie demonstrates her point by leaning up and easily taking one of his nipples into her mouth. Jeff moans and he feels another surge of urgency. "But I've always envisioned our first time being more…face-to-face."
"Done a lot of envisioning, have you?"
Annie rolls her eyes. "Like you haven't."
He doesn’t argue. "Well, it's not my fault that you're freakishly short."
"I'm average! If anything you're freaki-" She stops herself and takes a deep breath. "No matter. I have an idea. Lie down on your back."
Intrigued, Jeff does as he's told.
Annie fumbles on top of him, her long hair tickling his face.
“A little help here,” she says after a second of struggle.
Jeff waggles his eyebrows and guides himself into her as she eases down to straddle his hips.
They both emit loud moans.
And, hot molten lava, Annie Edison nude and on top of him is the sexiest thing he’s ever seen. She smirks down at him-looking pretty pleased with herself-then flips her hair over her shoulder, digs her nails into his abdomen, and starts moving.
“Fuck, Annie,” Jeff pants.
“I was right,” she laughs with bated breath, “this is much better.”
“Uh-huh.”
Jeff takes several more moments to just watch Annie before he decides to do his share of the work and thrusts up.
They move together, experimenting with speed and roughness. When he’s getting close-and she’s slowing down from exertion-Jeff uses the pad of his thumb to circle her clit.
“Oh, yes,” Annie tosses her hair back and, yeah, he’s about to be a goner. “Again please.”
“Yes, milady,” Jeff manages to groan, twisting the sensitive nub between his thumb and forefinger. She tightens around him in a rush of wetness and a few beats later he follows her, wading into a flood of endorphins.
She slumps on top of him for a moment before sliding off and collapsing next to him. He puts his arm around her and pulls her into his side. Annie nuzzles her head into his chest with a contented sigh.
He flexes his arm around her, rubbing her arm in lazy strokes. “That was fucking amazing.”
“May,” Annie shakes her head and her hair tickles at his chin. “We could have been doing this since May.”
He kisses the top of her head, rolling his eyes and pulling away to dispose of the condom and clean himself off. Once she’s settled back against him, they fall silent for some time and bask in some serious afterglow. Though it's morning, Jeff feels a sleepiness that comes from total satisfaction.
Suddenly, Annie bolts upright. “What time is it?”
Jeff checks his watch. “A quarter to nine.”
“We have classes in 45 minutes! Crap, crap, crap.”
They both scramble out of bed. Annie races to the bathroom, and Jeff redresses before fiddling with his hair in the mirror. She comes back into the room after a moment, gathering her clothes and hurriedly tugging them back on.
"How do I look?" she asks, her teeth worrying at her lower lip as she combs through her hair with her fingers. "I'm going for a 'Slept through My Alarm' kind of disheveled and not 'I Just Had Sex'." He gives her a once-over, but the sweater really is quite tight and has an enticing V-neck, so he gets a little distracted. "Jeff," Annie whines. "Focus."
"I am."
She crosses her arms over her chest, but that just enhances the effect. Jeff smirks.
"You're no help," she huffs.
She turns to charge out of the room, but Jeff catches her wrist and spins her into a kiss. "You look great," he assures. "And we're not going to be late. If anything, we'll have time to spare."
She kisses him once more before rushing into the living room. "I like to get to my classes fifteen minutes early. I need time to prepare or else I feel late. And we never ate breakfast. Oh, god."
"Annie, relax." Jeff says as he blows out the candles on the table. He'll have to clean up the rest when he gets home. "You shouldn't drive all worked up." He grabs them both a granola bar out of his pantry and tosses her one.
She nods, taking a few deep breaths as she shrugs into her coat and slings her backpack onto her shoulder. He retrieves his briefcase, puts on his own coat, and grabs his keys.
They hold hands in the elevator, and Jeff's mind reels. So much happened in the last hour, it seems surreal.
They part in the lobby of his building with a kiss and a promise of "see you soon." (He gets to kiss her whenever he wants. Surreal.)
Jeff takes the 15 minute ride in silence, his mind cataloguing the influx of sensory input. Like the taste of her skin, the way she smells especially and potently Annie at the soft hollow right under her ear, the raspy moan she'd made when they fit together for the first time.
And then he has to spend some time actively thinking about things that turn him off because he can't very well show up to teach class with an erection.
She’s right behind him the whole time, and she eases her car into the spot next to him when they get to Greendale.
"I'll see you at the committee meeting at 2:30, right?" She's talking as soon as they exit their cars.
"I'll be there," he confirms.
After dazzling him with a smile and bouncing up on her tip-toes to give him a kiss, she takes off running for her class.
Even though it might make him a few minutes late, he stays to watch till she disappears.
###
She keeps getting distracted.
As her professors ramble on about assignments and expectations for the semester, Annie's mind wanders to Jeff's kitchen…his bedroom. She remembers the way he looked at her, and it makes her tingle in all the right places. She finds herself doodling what she can remember of his speech in fancy script in her notebook.
And, for the first time in maybe her entire life, Annie Edison doesn’t ask a single question during her classes because she has more important things to occupy her mind, thank you very much.
Her head is still so abuzz with all the new and exciting and naked Jeff, that she almost doesn’t notice real Jeff waiting for her on the steps of the library.
“Hey,” he jumps to his feet when he sees her, all smiles and lingering looks. (She’ll have to remember that he really likes this sweater.) “How was class?”
“Yeah,” she nods. He cocks his head at her, smirking. “Sorry, I’ve been a little preoccupied today.”
Jeff waggles his eyebrows and pulls her to him. She puts up exactly zero resistance. “Any reason in particular?”
“One or two come to mind,” she says breathlessly.
“Hey, everybody!” Leonard shouts. “Winger’s got a giiiiirlfriend!”
“Shut up, Leonard,” Jeff retorts, still holding Annie tightly to him. “I can hear your bones rattle when you walk.”
Leonard walks away, grumbling about missed opportunities and vengeance.
Annie shakes her head at Jeff but can’t keep the smile off her face. “We should go inside.”
They hold hands for the short walk up the front steps to the study room door, and then break apart to go to their respective seats.
Abed is the only one already in the room, and he pumps his fist when he sees them together. "Joss Whedon would be proud."
“Huh?”
Jeff rolls his eyes. "That was Abed-speak for 'I'm happy for you guys'."
Abed nods, confirming this.
Britta and Duncan walk into the room together then, in the middle of a conversation. “I’ve devised the perfect system of negative reinforcement, you see," Duncan's saying. "Whenever someone asks a question, I prattle on so as to discourage meaningful discussion.”
“Ah, yes, classic conditioning," Britta nods thoughtfully as she sits down in her regular chair. Duncan takes his place next to Jeff.
Troy is the next to arrive, and he takes a deep breath as soon as he's in the door. "Ah," he sighs contentedly, "the study room smell. One part musty books, two parts pot, and two parts old hot dog water." He shimmies to his old seat and makes a show of settling in before engaging Abed in their handshake.
"Not that it isn't amazing to have you back," Annie says, "but what are you doing here? I thought you were working at Hawthorne Wipes."
"I still do. But since I'm taking Pierce's place, they said I need to get a feel for what he did there. And then they sent me here."
"Nice," Abed flashes a thumbs-up.
"Plus, I don't know anything about shares or corporate responsibility or pension. I've overheard, like, eight different people talk about getting their ducks in a row before they settle a deal. Clearly they’re important to successfully selling wipes, but no one will tell me where we keep them. So I'm gonna get a business degree."
"I’m sure you’ll learn all about where they keep the ducks in Business 101,” Jeff assures him.
Annie tries to kick him under the table-aiming toward the center of the table so as to connect with Jeff’s outstretched legs-but she nails Professor Duncan’s foot. He gives her a funny look, and Annie flushes, diverting her gaze.
“Hello!” Shirley says cheerily as she enters the room. “Sorry I’m late. There was a post-lunch rush, and I had to wait for a lull to close up shop.” She giggles, pleased.
Annie squeezes her arm when she sits down.
“Where’s Chang?” Britta asks. Then adds, “I didn’t kidnap him, in case anyone thinks so little of me they'd accuse me of such a reprehensible act.”
"You had motive, means, and opportunity," Jeff rolls his eyes.
"Your face has motive, means, and opportunity."
"Good one."
Annie drops her binder onto the table to stop their squabbling and passes around the agenda. “He never answered any of my emails or texts about his teaching schedule, so for all I know he has class right now.”
“Ha!” Chang appears, his head popping out from a missing tile in the ceiling over the second, unused table in the room. “I only teach online classes.”
Everyone screams.
“How did you even get up there?” Annie asks, incredulous.
“My bat friends let me up. They were hesitant to accept me at first, but the monkey gave me a character reference.”
“Get down!”
Chang drops himself onto the floor and brushes dust off the front of his shirt.
“Bats can have rabies,” Abed says. “You should probably go to the nurse.”
Chang doesn't seem to hear him, though. He notices Troy in his seat and rushes over, puffing out his chest. “You think because you’re back you can just steal my place in the study group, in Abed’s heart!? Well then you’ve got another think coming because-”
Troy holds up his hands in surrender.
“Oi!” Duncan yells. “Just sit in the empty chair next to him, you clot.”
“We’re not technically a study group anymore, and your place in my heart is limited to interest in the crazy things you do,” Abed adds helpfully.
Chang falls into Pierce’s old seat and pouts.
“Great,” Annie claps her hands to get everyone’s attention. She’s missed this all break, and her eyes slide around the table of her friends.
Jeff’s gentle and adoring smile distracts her so much that she loses her train of thought and trails off.
“Aren’t you going to do something lame and procedural like read the minutes from our last meeting?” Britta prompts.
“Hm? Oh! Right, yes. If everyone would like to follow along on their agenda…”
Things are going according to schedule until the flow of the meeting is disrupted by Annie's announcements.
“As some of you already know,” Annie starts as soon as they finish discussing their goals for the semester. “I sent around a poll to the students of Greendale over winter break about fundraising for our upcoming student showcase. Because someone can’t follow directions-”
“You’re welcome,” Abed inserts.
“A write-in idea won.”
“By a landslide,” Abed raises his eyebrows pointedly.
“Nothing is confirmed-so I need you guys to keep quiet about this-buuuut...” she draws out the suspense.
“We’re going to play Paintball Assassins, us versus the entire school.”
“Abed!”
“You were taking too long.”
Annie slumps in her seat. "What he said."
Everyone at the table starts murmuring with excitement.
"It'll be like that scene in Kill Bill when The Bride fights the Crazy 88," Troy bounces in his seat.
"Or like when the lower class enacts their revolution in Snowpiercer," Abed replies.
"We can dress all stealthy and crawl through the air ducts," Britta adds.
"I'll get the bats to help us!" Chang jumps out of his chair. Shirley pulls him back down into his seat.
"Guys," Annie says, "let's not put the cart before the horse. We can't hold the game here, and unless we find a suitable location it won't happen at all."
"We should sneak onto City College's campus and have it there," Duncan says. "There's this psychology professor there, Dr. Freud-no relation to that Austrian wanker despite his suggestive email signature-who's always sending me his publications just to rub them in my face. I want to defecate in his desk."
"Ew," Annie squeals, scooting closer to Shirley.
"That's a great way to land Greendale a lawsuit it can't reasonably pay for," Jeff points out.
"Pierce's mansion," Troy exclaims. "I'll have to talk to Gilbert, but it's big enough."
Annie points excitedly at him before scribbling a note in her binder.
Abed nods approvingly at Troy. "We're familiar with the layout, so that helps balance the odds."
"It's a good idea," Annie agrees. "Let me know what Gilbert says about it, okay?" Troy nods. "Okay, great, we'll table the discussion of paintball until we have more information. Onto the next order of business. Give yourselves a round of applause for completing 53 grant proposals over the fall semester."
The group claps, and when the noise dies down, Jeff adds, "Now let's give Annie a round of applause because she probably did more than half of those by herself."
"Aww," Annie flushes with appreciation as they congratulate her. "I couldn't have done it without you guys. Anyway, of those 53 proposals, we've been awarded four. Which sounds dismal, I know, but that's a collective $60,500 for the school. And the salary to support a new STEM faculty member, thanks to Shirley, who wrote the proposal for the Marie Curie grant."
Everyone oohs and ahhs, and Shirley gives herself a congratulatory "You go girl" complete with snaps.
"Now, I'd like to get just as many-if not more-out this semester. At the end of your agendas you'll find a new list of grants we should target."
Everyone groans.
"I figured since you're sleeping with Jeff now we'd get a semester off," Britta grumbles.
Jeff and Annie freeze, their gazes locking.
Duncan snaps his fingers in understanding. "That's what the footsie was about." Jeff quirks an eyebrow at Annie, who clears her throat.
"Well, since the topic's been broached," she hedges.
"Annie and I are, in fact, together. You better get your digs in now, you goons," Jeff finishes for her.
"That's nice," Shirley trills, grabbing Annie's hand and squeezing.
"I thought you guys had been doing it for years," Chang snorts. "Suckers."
Annie catches Jeff's eye and mouths the word May. He rolls his eyes at her, grinning.
"Mushy banana of love," Troy waggles his eyebrows at Jeff.
"Excuse me?"
"That's Troy-speak for 'I'm happy for you guys'," Annie clarifies. Then, since it seems like everyone’s had their say, she adds, “That’s all we have to talk about unless anyone else has an announcement.”
Duncan clears his throat meaningfully and Britta slams the table. “Oh, totally! Okay, so, since Duncan’s been unable to do anything meaningful with his career-”
“Hey!” he protests. His goofy smile at Britta dulls the effect of the indignation, though.
“He’s letting me run an experiment this semester. We’re going to get people with issues to come to a therapy session. Half the people will go to him, half to me. Then they take an exit survey. Six weeks later, we get the same people to come back, only they see the opposite person, and then take the same exit survey. It’s going to be a therapy revolution.”
“We’re not really sure what we’re trying to prove yet,” Duncan says, “but it’s at least as organized as anything I’ve tried before.”
“Obviously you guys can’t participate, but we were hoping you’d help administer the surveys.”
“I’m in,” Annie smiles at Britta, who bumps her fists together appreciatively.
“As long as it doesn’t cut into business hours, I’ll be there,” Shirley promises.
Annie shoots Jeff a significant look.
He huffs. “Yeah, alright, I’ll probably be around.”
“I already made posters to hang around campus,” Britta says eagerly, pulling a stack of paper out of her bag.
The design is cluttered. The only clearly legible words are the title, written in the ‘Got Milk?’ ad font: Got Issues?
“These are terrible,” Abed scoffs as if they personally offend him. “I’m going to make you better posters.”
“Dope.”
Abed shakes his head mournfully at her.
Rachel sticks her head into the room then. “Hey everybody,” she waves. “Abed, you ready to help me film that video for the nursing home?”
“Rachel’s working on her volunteer hours for her social engineering degree,” Abed tells the group proudly. “Coming,” he promises her as he gathers his things.
“Meeting adjourned, I guess,” Annie says as Abed leaves.
Troy turns to Shirley. “Will you help me make a schedule? I’m going to be a business major.”
“Oh,” Shirley claps her hands. “Of course, sweetie. Walk with me back to the sandwich shop?”
They leave, chatting about the available courses.
“I might go to the nurse, after all,” Chang sighs. “I don’t feel so well.”
Britta rolls her eyes. “I’ll take you there, Señor Crazypants.”
“I’ve got a class,” Duncan pats Britta on the shoulder as he leaves. She smiles up at him before getting her own stuff and tugging Chang out of his chair.
And then Jeff and Annie are alone again.
Annie feels strangely nervous, excitement tingling in the pit of her stomach. “So,” she says.
“So,” he responds.
“Want to go make out in your office till I have class?”
Jeff’s practically out the door before she’s finished her sentence.
Annie hurries to follow after him, giggling all the way.
###
They haven’t even been dating for a week when they have their first fight as a couple.
Annie works an eight hour shift at Barnes and Noble on Saturday, and she’s coming straight from the mall to stay the night at Jeff’s for the first time.
Spurred on by anticipation, he spends the day cleaning his bathroom, washing the sheets on his bed, and stocking up on groceries that he thinks Annie might like.
He’s matching pillowcases with their designated pillows when his phone buzzes in his pocket.
“Hey,” Jeff answers. “Done at work?”
“Finally,” Annie confirms, sounding tired and distracted. “I’m on my way over. Can I use your shower when I get there? I feel stale.”
“Of course.”
There’s some rustling on her end of the line and then she’s saying, “I gotta go. Be there in thirty.”
Jeff finishes making the bed and then sits to watch TV-his leg bouncing with nervous energy-until there’s a knock at his door.
She falls into his chest the moment he has the door open, and Jeff sighs with relief before running his fingers through the hair of her ponytail. “Hi,” he smiles into the top of her head.
“Hi,” Annie’s breath is hot and soaks into the fabric of his t-shirt.
“How was work?” he asks, pulling her a few steps inside the threshold so he can close the door. She drops a duffle bag on the ground.
“Many books,” Annie says shortly.
“You okay?”
She nods, nuzzling into his chest, and squeezes him tighter. “Just dazed. And my feet hurt.”
Jeff kisses the top of her head. “Well, we have the whole evening ahead of us, and then an entire day with nothing to do after that. Should be enough time to rejuvenate you.”
Annie hums and pulls away to look up at his face. Her hands slide from his back to settle at his hips, and she tugs at his shirt.
Jeff gets what she wants and leans down to kiss her.
“Hmm,” he licks his lips. “Stale Annie.”
Her eyes glimmer with amusement. “I should go shower.”
“Okay.”
“Really, I plan to move any time now.”
“Whatever you feel is necessary.”
She lets her head fall into his chest again and inhales deeply. “Okay, I’m really going now.” But she doesn’t move for several moments more, and Jeff snorts.
Annie pulls away, grinning sheepishly at him, and slides her backpack off her shoulders. Then she retrieves the duffle bag and springs up on her tip-toes to give Jeff a peck on the lips before heading for the bathroom.
“Want me to make dinner while you’re in the shower?”
Annie twirls to face him, hand on the door handle. “I’m not hungry yet. Plus, I want to help.”
He shakes his head, smiling warmly at her. “Okay.”
She’s about to close the door behind her but pauses, suddenly serious. “You know we can’t spend all of tomorrow doing nothing, right? I have a lot to get done.”
He rolls his eyes. “Whatever you say, Neurotically Negative Nancy.”
She sticks her tongue out at him. “You promised to proofread the script for my Governmental Procedures skit.”
“I didn’t forget,” he assures her.
She gives him a business-like nod, and then closes the door.
Jeff’s not quite sure what to do with himself while Annie showers. He entertains the idea of joining her, egged on by the noise of the water running. It makes him hyperaware that she’s in there, naked and sudsy.
But he resists, not sure she’d be comfortable with that. (And makes a mental note to ask her opinion on shower sex.)
He bounces his fist against his hip repeatedly and looks around the room. Annie’s backpack-the same purple bag she’s had since freshman year, which fills him with an absurd amount of fondness-is sitting by the door and Jeff goes to move it to the bedroom. The zipper isn’t done all the way and he can see her laptop nestled inside.
An idea strikes him.
They get to spend more time with each other later if he gets work done now. And what if he found the file of her skit, emailed it to himself, and worked on it while she’s showering?
It would be weird, going through her laptop, though. He only knows her password by happenstance (a third-year lab report emergency that he doesn’t like to talk about).
On the other hand, he’s familiar with her document titling system. He’s been on the receiving end of many an email attachment and knows how she organizes things. If he searches “Government Procedures_assignment_Testimony skit” he’s bound to find it. Jeff’s willing to bet the continued existence of his hair on it.
He stands, undecided, in the middle of his room, the backpack clenched in his right fist.
The longer he waits to act at all, the more pointless any action will be.
Jeff swallows his unease, telling himself that Annie won’t mind when she hears his reasoning, and sits on the edge of his bed, sliding the laptop out of the bag. He boots it up and, sure enough, the password is still M@rkRuffal0.
He searches the drive for the document and runs a satisfied hand through his hair when it exists.
He’s just logging onto his email when Annie appears in the doorway to his bedroom, smelling pungently floral and looking scrumptious in plaid pajama pants and the hoodie he lent her during New Years. “Oh, there you a-” Her smile abruptly disappears when she sees her computer perched on his lap, replaced with a scowl. “What are you doing?”
He’d been expecting her to take a longer shower.
And even if he had thought about getting caught, he’d never imagine Annie so furious with him. It catches him off guard and makes him stutter. “I-I thought-”
Annie lunges forward and rips the laptop from his hands, slamming it shut. “This is a total invasion of privacy that I thought you were above!”
“Whoa, there,” he finds his voice. “I was just looking for the skit, there’s no need to overreact.”
Something about his choice of words makes her nostrils flare and her spine straighten. She turns crisply on her heel and charges back into the bathroom, laptop tucked under her arm.
“Wait, what?” he addresses the room. That was…not how he pictured the start of this evening. They were supposed to hang out on the couch for a while, maybe have sex in every room of the apartment. He was going to make them chicken parmesan and not feel guilty for eating whole-wheat pasta.
Now she’s going to spend the night huddled in the bathroom, mad at him for what he can only assume was a huge misunderstanding?
Displeased by the idea, Jeff jumps off his bed and stands in front of the bathroom door. He knocks, then tries the knob, but she’s locked herself in. “Annie,” he addresses the door, “come on. I thought you were going to be longer, and I wanted to get a head start on proofing your skit.”
He hears her scoff disbelievingly.
He rattles the handle and growls in frustration. “I’m serious. Will you please come out and talk to me?”
Silence.
“I didn’t mean to offend you.”
Silence.
“Come on, Annie.”
Still nothing.
“You can’t reasonably stay in there all night. I can wait you out, you know.”
She doesn’t make a peep.
“Please don’t make me wait you out,” he whines.
Several tense heartbeats later, she cracks the door. “I was checking to see what you had open.”
“Oh.” He’s a hairsbreadth away from falling to his knees with relief. “And?”
“It looks like you were sending yourself my skit.”
“Because I was.”
Annie lets the door fall open all the way and hangs her head. Her wet hair is piled into a bun atop her head and a few beads of water inch along her temple. “My mom used to go through my phone and laptop,” she says finally. “Keeping tabs on me or whatever.”
It takes him a second to understand that she’s explaining her reaction. “That sounds…like it sucked.”
She nods and shuffles her feet. He tentatively reaches out his fingers to brush the drops of water away before cupping her cheek in his palm, easing her face up to look at him.
Annie’s eyelashes flutter and then she meets his stare. “I didn’t mean to snap at you like that. I just…it’s an old battle. And it’s not your battle, but you wandered onto the battlefield. I kinda lost it, huh?”
“No,” he assures her. “Well, yes. But parents fuck us up. I know that better than anyone.”
She sighs and her fingers bunch in his t-shirt, pulling him closer. “Thanks, Jeff. I’m sorry.”
He smooths his thumb over her cheekbone. “You’re already forgiven. And I’m sorry, too, for the record. I won’t go through your stuff again without permission.”
Her puckered frown relaxes into a tentative and grateful smile. “You know what?”
“What?”
“I love you.”
He grabs her face in both hands and kisses her, slow and tender. She groans, needy, into his open mouth. When they break away to breathe, resting their foreheads against each other, he laughs and marvels at how easy it is to say: “I love you, too.”
###
Annie’s in the middle of her Genetics class when the dean texts her.
EMERGENCY: come 2 my office
She pales and gathers her things in a hurry.
Greendale faculty are so used to students leaving in the middle of class that Professor Newman only nods at Annie when she pauses at the door, never breaking the flow of the lecture.
After sprinting to the dean’s office, Annie stops by the receptionist’s counter to catch her breath. Rhonda, ever-exasperated, rolls her eyes. “He’s worked himself into a tizzy in there.”
“Do you know what it’s about?”
“Honey, I stopped listening to him blather on years ago.”
Annie nods, squares her shoulders, and knocks on the door. “Dean?” she calls.
The door flies open. “Oh, Annie, thank god you’re here.” He ushers her inside, and she gives him the onceover. He doesn’t look hurt….
“What’s going on?”
Instead of answering, he clings to her and starts whimpering into her shoulder. “I’m useless. A pack of beavers moved into the theater, another coffeemaker’s been fried in the teachers’ lounge because they keep using alcohol instead of water, and I think Starburns is using the stables to grow cannabis again. I can’t do anything right.”
Annie pats his shoulder sympathetically, but, honestly, how has he not come to terms with his own incompetence yet?
“Dean,” she says delicately, “I left class for this. You’re saying there’s no real emergency?”
He breaks away from her and flops onto the couch dramatically, shielding his face with his arm. “No real emergency? No real emergency!? This school is a mess, Annie. And no amount of money or determination is going to fix it. Not while I’m at the helm of this ship. Face it, I destroy everything I touch! Every single school I ran before Greendale shut down.”
“Exactly,” she snaps her fingers. “Before Greendale. Before you found the one place you truly belong.” He moans and she perches on the edge of the couch tentatively. “Could you be doing a better job? Sure. But you care about this place as much as I do. And that counts for something. That’s what most of these students need-someone who cares unconditionally about them. No questions asked, you’re already accepted.”
Dean Pelton sniffles and looks up at her. “I used to think that. That I could make everything better on intention alone. But after six years of barely staying afloat, I’m not so sure. I’m a bad dean.”
Annie stands. “You’re always saying that, expecting people to coddle you and swear it’s not true. But you know, that’s what makes you a bad dean. Your inaction. If you’re struggling, just ask for help! Do something to make yourself a good dean.”
When he doesn’t say anything, she turns to leave. “I heard you and Jeffrey are dating,” he says meekly.
She rounds on him again. “Is that what this is about? You’re having a breakdown over my personal life?”
The dean bursts into tears and Annie immediately regrets snapping. She kicks her foot into the ground once in exasperation, leaving a scuff mark on the floor, and then sits back down next to him. She pulls him into a hug and lets him cry for a while.
Finally, the deluge slows, then stops, and Dean Pelton sits up to grab a box of tissues off his desk without making eye contact. “I feel empty.”
“Because there are now multiple reasons harassing Jeff is unacceptable?”
The dean laughs humorlessly. “No. Maybe a little, if I’m being honest with myself. Though I really like to avoid that when at all possible.” Annie rolls her eyes. “I just. I had my place in the group, and for the past five years I’ve really felt like you guys are my family.”
“We’re not going to stop being your family because the group dynamic has changed a little.”
“But I don’t know who I am or how I fit in and the only time I’ve ever been secure about those things was when I was being the crazy dean for you guys.”
“You deserve better than that, though. You shouldn’t be a gambit in our flying circus. You’re a flying circus all on your own. You deserve to feel good about your job and have a relationship instead of an infatuation. But until you figure out how to get those things for yourself, it’s okay to feel a little lost and empty.”
Dean Pelton wrings a tissue in his hands and nods. “Thanks, Annie.”
She squeezes his shoulder. “Next time you want to talk about life stuff, you don’t need to lure me to your office under false pretenses. Just be honest with me, and I’ll make time for you.”
He smiles sadly at her and- though he’s infuriating-Annie feels affection swell in her chest. “I’m glad Jeff told you about his feelings. It was killing me not to say anything, and you two do make a lovely couple.”
“You knew, too? He was telling everybody but me,” she growls, making a note to punish him later.
The dean stands and brushes himself off. “That boy is a mess, right?”
Annie raises a pointed eyebrow, but the dean is back to being blissfully unaware. “I’m going back to class. You're going to be okay?”
He waves off her concern with a flourish.
Annie nods to Rhonda on her way out and just barely catches the dean’s voice calling, “Rhonda? Get your brainstorming pad out! I need to pick an outfit to scold the teachers about their drinking problem, and it’s got to look authoritative…and frilly!”
###
Life is good.
Like, really good.
Jeff can't remember a time he's been happier. He doesn't have to psych himself up to get out of bed in the morning. He doesn't feel crushingly lonely or misanthropic.
He mostly feels…restful.
Which defies all logic because dating Annie is anything but.
Dating Annie is like getting on one of those spinning carnival rides. She's a powerful force that holds him securely in place and spins him for loop at the same time.
Dating Annie is an endless slideshow of "wouldn't it be fun to learn to knit" and "can you proofread this assignment?" and "we should start a book club; all of Rainbow Rowell’s stuff is fabulous, not just Eleanor & Park!"
She never stops-she barely slows-and Jeff should be exhausted and annoyed. Or, at the very least, confused that he's not exhausted or annoyed.
Instead, he's just restful.
He's watching her now, hunched over Britta's draft of survey questions, using a purple pen to make corrections. She taps the end of it against the tip of her nose when she’s trying to think of a better word or phrase, and it’s maybe the cutest thing he’s ever seen.
The Save Greendale Committee meeting ended fifteen minutes ago, but most of them don't have anywhere else to be. So they’re hanging out. Like old times.
"You can't just explicitly ask if they feel more comfortable talking to a woman because they assume she has maternal instincts," Annie criticizes. "You have to be more subtle than that to avoid influencing the response."
Britta sticks her tongue out. "Okay, Miss Know-It-All. I haven't read the chapter on research methods yet."
Annie gapes at her. "Why wouldn't you do that before writing this?"
"Because I knew you were going to look it over and make it perfect." Britta bats her eyelashes.
"Bleh," Annie shoves the paper back over the table. "Flattery is not going to work. Talk to me once you've done your share of the work."
Britta makes a face that Annie doesn’t see because she's too busy retrieving her laptop from her backpack.
Shirley’s helping Troy with homework. Abed’s planning a weekend getaway for him and Rachel that sounds better suited for Troy, and Chang’s offering insane suggestions. Britta begrudgingly flips to the chapter on research in her psych textbook.
Jeff should be grading the Bill of Rights assignment he gave all his intro classes, but he’s pretty content to alternate between staring into space and watching his friends.
His phone lights up in his hands.
It’s a text from Annie: hey slacker :)
He glances over at her, but she’s fixated on her computer screen. Jeff smirks.
Jeff: i’m not slacking
Annie: fine. hey daydreamer
Jeff: i’m not daydreaming either
Annie: you practically have thought bubbles floating in the air above your head
“I always thought entrepreneurs were people who revolutionized the manure industry.” Troy raps his pencil on the table in agitation. “But they can make anything they want?”
Shirley sighs. “It’s more or less someone who starts their own business.”
Troy slaps the table. “You’re an entrepreneur! I always thought manure and brownies were weird things that didn’t go together, but you were always just talking about having your own business.”
Shirley gives him the same look she gives her children when they're ignoring her commands, like she's imaging creative ways to eliminate him.
Jeff: at least my thought bubbles are full of actual, coherent thoughts
Annie: be nice. Troy's trying really hard to make something of himself.
Jeff: nuh-uh, his goal has always been to make a lot of $$$ w/o having to work v hard
Annie: well then at least he's working to realize those goals :p
Jeff: u r impossible to sway
She sneaks a look at him, this brilliant, wide smile on her face. Jeff has no control over his responding grin.
"Maybe we could ride the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad and go to the museum," Abed muses.
Troy stops puzzling over a question about supply and demand to add, "Nice! Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid."
"Or, or," Chang waves his hands dramatically, "tie her to the tracks like a classic villain and see if she can get out before the train comes. You could even wear your cape!"
Annie: that's the sixth time Chang's suggested Abed murder Rachel in thirty minutes. Do you think we should warn her?
Jeff: meh
Jeff: he’s incompetent and Rachel’s nice and everything, but i’m not really worried
Annie: you're kind of a terrible person, you know that?
Jeff: yeah, but u love me
Annie: I do. I really do.
She's already gazing at him when he looks up, her eyes full of it-her love for him.
His world goes spinning, and he has to look away when he can hear his heart beating in his ear.
Jeff: love u 2
Later that night, he's crawling up the bed after being positioned between her thighs for a considerable amount of time. He settles on his side, and Annie fits perfectly against the scoop of his body, her knees curving at the same angle as his. He can rest his chin on the top of her head, and her hair gets caught in his scruff.
"That was nice," Annie sighs, satiated.
Jeff scoffs. "Just nice?"
"Too sleepy to come up with more fitting adjectives."
He tightens his grip around her and lets himself just exist in this peaceful moment.
"Hey," he says after a bit.
"Mm?"
"Thanks for today."
She strains to look back at him. He can make out the outline of her features in the dark, but not much detail. "What'd I do?"
Jeff buries his face in the hair at her neck, breathing her in. "You were Annie."
He can feel the vibrations of her soft laughter. "I like to be Annie. Especially now."
"You make me especially like being Jeff," he says quietly into the fragrant skin. He's quiet for a while longer before saying, "Remember when you called me out about my constant texting?"
"Hmm." She must have drifted off again. "I call you out a lot. Need specifics."
He smiles. "I believe your exact words were, 'Who are you always texting? Everyone you know is here'."
She shifts in his arms, turning to face him. "Sounds familiar. Why bring it up?"
She's started tracing the basins and bulges at the base of his throat, and it takes a moment for him to catch his breath. "It was nice. Today. Having someone on the other end for once."
He hears her breath catch and then she's kissing him, brushing her soft lips against any skin she has access to. "I'll always be on the other end," she promises.
He kisses her smooth forehead. "I know."