A Study in Vacation
Summary: Ficcy Friday promt by sinecure. "Jeff sneaks away for a few weeks at the beginning of summer, avoiding everyone, wanting to clear his head of everything school and friend related. Out of the blue, he calls Annie and invites her to join him. Can be friendship/romance/full on 24-hour-a-day smut, whatever."
Rating: M for Languange and Smut
Disclaimer: Not mine!
Word Count: 11,766 This kind of got away from me.
A/N: I sort of hate this and sort of don't, but I've been messing with it for long enough. Also, it's set where it is because it's where I've spent the majority of my vacations so it's easiest for me to work into a story.
Two days after classes ended Jeff boarded a plane and headed east. It wasn’t exactly a secret that he had a rough year and he decided he needed to get away. Away from his apartment, away from the strange politics of the study group, and away from Greendale in general. He felt like he was suffocating. He happened to mention one day at work that he was looking into places to go and one of the partners overheard him. He offered Jeff the use of his beach house on the Jersey Shore for as long as he wanted, saying that he didn’t like leaving the house empty for extended periods of time. Jeff jumped at the chance and booked a flight.
Jeff didn’t tell his friends about his plan. The day after he landed in New Jersey he sent them all a mass text saying he would be MIA for a while then turned off his phone. For the first week he enjoyed the solitude. He would run on the beach or go for a swim, walk around town, or just drive around exploring the new sights. Sometimes he just sat on the balcony that was off of the master bedroom and looked out at the ocean. He was glad that there weren’t a ton of people around since tourist season hadn’t kicked in yet, most kids were still in school.
After about a week and a half Jeff realized something, though. He didn’t want to be by himself anymore. He thought of the group occasionally, but he thought of Annie the most. Every time he saw something he thought she would like he wished she was there so he could show her and see her face light up.
Annie was folding her laundry one early afternoon when her phone began to ring on the dresser. She grabbed it and saw Jeff’s picture on the screen. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion and answered it, “Hello?”
“Hey, Annie.”
“Jeff? Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“Where are you? Your text kind of freaked everyone out.”
“I figured when I turned my phone on and had like thirty missed calls and texts. I’m in New Jersey.”
Annie sat on her bed, “What? Why?”
“I just needed to get away and clear my head. A partner at the law firm offered me his beach house here for as long as I want.”
“Oh, wow. When are you coming back?”
“I don’t know. Umm, listen…the reason I’m calling is…I was wondering if, you know, you maybe wanted to fly out and stay for a bit, too? I think you’d like it here.”
Annie’s eyebrows shot up, “Oh, umm, huh?”
Jeff felt his stomach twist with nerves, he felt like he was in high school asking his crush to prom. “Yeah, I mean it’s a really nice house and there are extra bedrooms, it’s only a few blocks from the beach so you can walk there. Or walk into the center of town where there are restaurants and shops and stuff. It’s starting to get boring wandering around here by myself.” Jeff knew he was babbling but he couldn’t help it. “I’m still doing some consulting work from here but most of the time I’m free so we could just hang out or whatever. And I remember you saying how much you like the beach…”
“Yeah, I do. But, umm, I can’t really afford a plane ticket, especially on such short notice…”
“I’ll pay for it,” He quickly blurted out.
“What? No, Jeff…”
“Or I have enough frequent flyer miles from before Greendale, I can use those.”
“Don’t waste your frequent flyer miles on me.”
Jeff scoffed on the other end, “I’d hardly call that a waste, Annie. Look, there are absolutely no expectations here. I just want some company and figured we could have a good time going to the beach and boardwalk and stuff.”
Annie bit her lip and ran through about fifteen different scenarios of what could happen if she went in roughly as many seconds. Ultimately what made her decide was the hint of pleading she heard in his voice. She knew he had been having a rough time and if having her there would make him feel a bit better, then she would do it. “Okay,” She said finally.
Jeff let out the breath he had been holding, “Okay? You’ll come?”
“I’ll come.”
His smile was obvious in his voice, even over the phone, “Great. I’ll find a flight for you. Any particular day?”
“Umm, no. I guess not. How long will this be?”
“I don’t know. Whenever you want to leave I’ll book you a return flight.”
Three days later Troy and Abed dropped her off at the airport. She told them that her Aunt in Pennsylvania had invited her to stay for a few weeks and left it at that, despite Abed’s questioning looks. She felt bad about lying to her roommates, but she and Jeff didn’t want anyone knowing what was actually going on. The last thing Jeff wanted was to deal with that can of worms right now.
When Annie came through the revolving doors to the baggage claim area she quickly spotted Jeff. He was slumped down in one of the chairs that lined the windows, wearing a light blue polo shirt, cargo shorts, and flip flops. He glanced up and noticed Annie walking towards him with a bright smile on her face. Jeff pushed himself up and couldn’t stop the big smile from spreading across his own lips. As soon as they closed the distance between them he enveloped her in a bear hug, lifting her off the ground and crushing her body into his.
Annie wrapped her arms around his shoulders and laughed at his greeting, “Nice to see you, too.”
He put her back on the ground and smiled a bit sheepishly, “Yeah, well…I’m guessing you checked a bag?”
“Duh. I also really have to pee,” She bounced a little and looked around for a bathroom.
“Over there,” He pointed to their left.
“Be right back!” She took off in the direction of the bathroom and Jeff chuckled as he watched her disappear.
When she came back a few minutes later the bags were starting to come off the carousel. “Oh, there’s mine!” She said pointing to a big suitcase that was chocolate brown with pink polka dots.
“I’ll get it.” Jeff grabbed it with one hand and dropped it on the floor to pull out the handle. “Jeez, what do you have in here? Rocks?”
“Well since I don’t know how long I’ll be here and wasn’t sure about the weather I probably over packed.”
“Probably?” He teased.
“Oh like you’re one to talk, I’m sure you brought more clothes and hair care products than I did.”
Jeff smirked at her, “Actually, we’re probably about even.”
“Uh huh, so shut it, Winger.”
He clucked his tongue, “So mean to the man who just paid for your plane ticket and invited you to stay at a beach house for free.”
She laughed as they headed out of the airport and into the parking garage. “How can I ever make it up to you?”
“Hmm, I don’t know. I’ll have to think about it. In the meantime, are you hungry?”
“Sort of. I bought an overpriced turkey sandwich before I got on the plane.”
“You like seafood right?”
“I love seafood.”
“Good. There’s a place I found a few days ago that gives you a one pound lobster, mussels, clams, shrimp, potatoes, and corn for $20.”
“Holy crap, I’m in. That would cost like $50 at home.”
“I know. I’m going to try and get my fill of it while I’m here.” He stopped in front of a silver Infiniti and unlocked it.
“You rented an Infiniti?”
“No, it belongs to Pete, the guy who owns the house. He told me to drive it because it needs to be used.” He put her suitcase in the back and they got in. “Ready?”
“Yup! I’m so excited, I haven’t been to the coast in years.”
He smiled and put the car in reverse, “Alright, then let’s go.”
An hour later they were seated at an outside table at a seaside restaurant. It was the kind of place that served the food on heavy paper plates and had plastic tables and chairs on the patio. After they ordered Annie watched the waves crash over the rocks for a minute before she turned her attention back to Jeff. “I really appreciate you inviting me. It’s been years since I’ve been on a real vacation, and I’ve never been on one that wasn’t with family.”
“Really?”
“Really. The last time I was at the beach was the summer when I was 16. My Dad had some conference thing in Florida and decided to bring me. My Mom fought him tooth and nail because she didn’t want me to go with him. She said it was a waste of time. She only gave in when he had his lawyer call her to remind her of the custody agreement. I remember her bringing flash cards to the beach when I was little and making me sit there and practice before I could play.”
“Jesus, you didn’t stand a chance.”
She smiled, “I know, right?”
“Well, I’m proud of you.”
“For what?”
“Would the Annie from three years ago fly halfway across the country with only a few days notice to go to a place she’s never been before for an unknown length of time?”
“No, she definitely wouldn’t have. She’d panic at the idea of it.”
“See? Look how far you’ve come.”
“But Annie from three years ago didn’t have anyone in her life who would invite her do that, either.”
Jeff winced, he hated being reminded of her past. It broke his heart a little to think of how alone she used to be. In his mind she was the last person in the world to deserve that. “Jeff from three years ago didn’t have anyone in his life that he’d want to invite,” He said quietly.
Annie blushed a little and fiddled with the straw in her iced tea. “Well, the important thing is that now we both do.”
He smiled softly at her, “Yeah, I guess it is.”
For the first couple of days their relationship was pretty much exactly as it was at home. Things weren’t awkward, they were just overly aware of each other. When one would touch the other, intentionally or not, it immediately jumped to the forefront of both of their minds. Jeff was extra sneaky about stealing glances of Annie in her bikini or tank top and pajama shorts. She did her best not to be too obvious about staring when he was wearing only his bathing suit or walked around shirtless with real bedhead in the morning.
The more one on one time they spent together, away from the prying eyes of their friends, the more comfortable with each other they became. Within days, a touch between them had become normal and automatic. He would absentmindedly put his hand on the small of her back when they were walking, or she would link arms with him and rest her head on his upper arm or shoulder. They sat closer together on the couch. He would kiss the top of her head or hand and she would get on her tip toes to give him a peck on the cheek. They both notice the quick change, but neither one of them mentions it, they just enjoy it.
X-X-X-X-X
Annie was sitting in a beach chair under one of the umbrellas that was set up and reading a book. Jeff was back at the house finishing up some work. The beach was mostly empty, except for a few people a bit further down and the occasional person walking by. Suddenly she noticed a long shadow in front of her and looked up. Jeff was standing there in black and red board shorts that hung low on his hips and had a towel slung over his shoulder. “You even read at the beach?”
“Lots of people read on the beach.”
He sighed and threw the towel on top of her bag, “This won’t do at all.”
Before she even had time to respond he had hoisted her up from the chair and had her over his shoulder. Annie squirmed and protested but he just tightened his grip on her and headed towards the water. “Jeff! No! Come on the water is really cold!”
“Oh relax, it’s not that bad.”
“The thingy at the life guard station said it’s 58 degrees!”
“Yup, I saw. You’ll live,” He said as he walked into the water. It was chilly, but he could deal with it.
Annie shrieked when it hit her skin, “Jeff! Oh my god I hate you!”
“No you don’t.”
“Yes I do! It’s freezing!”
“You’ll get used to it.” He finally stopped when the water was just above elbow deep on him. He loosened his grip and she went to get down, but then realized she couldn’t stand and panicked a bit.
She wrapped her legs tightly around his waist and her arms around his neck, both to keep herself above water and try to keep warm with his body heat. “Okay, can we please go back? I don’t like being so far out in the ocean that I can’t stand.”
“You can swim,” He said wrapping his arms around her. Now he was very glad the water was as chilly as it was. For more reasons than one.
“So? That’s not gonna help much if I get swept away by I rogue ocean current!”
Jeff chuckled, “I’m not going to let you get carried out to sea. Besides, I can stand just fine.”
Annie clung to him tighter and buried her face into his neck. “I’ve mentioned I hate you, right?”
“Yup.”
A particularly strong wave hit them and knocked Jeff off of his footing for a second. “Oh god can we please go back now before we either drown or freeze to death?” She pleaded.
“Alright, alright calm down.” Jeff carried her back to the beach and she didn’t let go of him until the water was just below her knees.
Once she was back on the sand she moved her chair out from under the umbrella so it was in the sun and sat down. “Did you put sun block on?”
“On my face.”
“That’s it?”
He circled his finger around his face, “Money maker.”
Annie rolled her eyes and threw his towel at him, “Dry off then put it on at least your back and shoulders. There’s some in my bag.” She dug it out and handed it to him.
“It always makes my skin feel weird and greasy.”
She picked up her book again, “Fine. But don’t come crying to me when you’re covered in sun spots in fifteen years.”
Jeff glared at her and started drying off, “Fine. I’ll put sun block on. Happy?”
“Thrilled,” She said without looking up from the page she was reading.
He rubbed some into his chest and arms then held the bottle out to her.
Annie looked up at him, “What?”
“I can’t reach to do my back.”
“You have the arm span of a pterodactyl and can’t reach your back?”
“Not all of it.”
She put her book down again before standing up and taking the bottle from him. She squirted some into her hands and began rubbing it into his smooth skin, trying desperately not to notice how she could feel his well-defined muscles just underneath the surface.
“And for the record, a pterodactyl would have a wing span, not an arm span.”
“I know, but I couldn’t think of a better example.” She finished rubbing in the sun block. “There you go.”
“Thanks.” He grabbed another nearby chair and put it down next to hers, then sat down and slid on his aviators.
“There’s a People Magazine in my bag if you want it,” She offered.
“Nah, I’ve been reading files all morning, my eyes need a rest. Unless of course you’ve got an issue of Maxim or something in there.”
Annie laughed and kicked him playfully, “Don’t be gross.”
“Oh, come on. I guarantee you that right now you’re wearing less than some of the girls in that magazine.”
She huffed, ready to make a retort, but then looked down at her bikini and shut her mouth. Jeff laughed, knowing full well that he got her. She kicked him again, this time not quite as playfully.
There’s silence between them for a bit. Annie has given up on her book and she’s watching a little girl and her mom build a sand castle further down the beach. She gets lost in her own thoughts, wishing her own mother had done that with her, rather than busting out the flash cards and quizzing her daughter on state capitals.
Jeff’s voice breaks her out of it. “Why don’t we hang out together more?”
She head snapped towards him and she blinked, “Huh?
“Why don’t we hang out together more? Like just us, without the rest of the group. I mean we’ve known each other for three years and I feel like I’ve learned more about you in the past five days than I have in all that time.”
“Oh. I don’t know. Probably a combination of my weird hang-ups, your weird hang-ups, and the group’s weird hang-ups.”
“Hmm. Well that’s stupid,” He concluded. “I like this,” He said motioning between them. “We should keep it up when we get home.”
Annie smiled, “I like it, too. We should definitely keep it up.”
Later that night, they walked to an outdoor ice cream stand. As they waited in line, Annie noticed a group of women who seemed to be a few years older than her checking Jeff out. Not that she could blame them, but still. A weird wave of possessiveness came over her. It’s not like Jeff was her boyfriend, but whatever their relationship status was, he was hers damn it. She linked her hand around his elbow and pressed herself a little closer into his side. Jeff looked down at her and smiled, completely unaware of the reason for Annie’s sudden grip on him. Annie glanced over at the other women again and shot them a smug smile, causing them to look away. Of course, then it dawned on her that what she just did was what Jeff had been doing to her for the past two and a half years, getting jealous of anyone who showed interest in her. Not that it ruined her momentary sense of self-satisfaction, though.
They got their ice cream cones then headed out of the business district to an area that was a bit quieter. Jeff noticed a stone retaining wall and easily hopped up with just one hand. Annie tried to do the same but her height made it much more difficult. He watched her with amusement, “Having trouble?”
“Yes, because I’m not a giant.”
He laughed and jumped back down then handed her his ice cream, “Hold this.” Then he picked her up from under her arms and sat her on the wall.
“Show off,” She said with a smile.
Jeff got back up and took his ice cream back, “You know you’re impressed by my awesome height and muscles.”
Annie bumped her shoulder with his, “You got me.”
“Knew it.”
Suddenly an all too familiar song coming from a nearby restaurant caught Annie’s attention. She gasped and smiled at him wickedly.
“What?” He asked confused.
“Do you hear that?”
“Hear what…oh no.”
Annie started singing, “There used to be a graying tower alone on the sea, you became the light on the dark side of me…”
“Stop it.”
“Love remained a drug that’s the high and not the pill, but did you know, that when it snows, my eyes become large and the light that you shine can be seen…”
“Oh god…”
“BABY I COMPARE YOU TO A KISS FROM THE ROSE ON THE GRAY! OH THE MORE I GET OF YOU THE STRANGER IT FEELS YEAH! NOW THAT YOUR ROSE IS IN BLOOM, A LIGHT HITS THE GLOOM ON THE GRAY!”
“I swear I’ll push you off of here and then you’ll never be able to get back up.”
Annie’s singing dissolved into fits of giggles. Jeff stared at her with a strange mix of affection, annoyance, and amusement. When she finally got her giggling under control he shook his head. “Are you done? Because I’m pretty sure like twenty people just heard you sing that.”
She giggled one more time as she licked at her ice cream to catch the drips. “Better than half of Greendale.”
“Ugh. I never liked that song but now it haunts my dreams.”
“And with good reason. Actually, I kind of feel like I’m living in Dean Pelton’s fantasy.”
“I’m not sure I even want to know.”
“Oh, come on. A beach vacation with Jeff Winger? I bet he’d give up all of his dalmatian memorabilia and costumes for a chance like this.”
“I’ll still push you off you know.”
“Pfft no you won’t.”
“How do you know? Keep bringing him up and I just might.”
“You won’t because you’d be too afraid of hurting me, if anything you’d get down, then gently pick me up and put me back on the ground, then jump back up. And let’s face it, that sounds much less intimidating.”
He smiled at her, “Okay, you got me there.”
“Uh huh. I want to go to a lighthouse.”
“Holy change of subject Batman.”
Annie laughed, “I know, but I like lighthouses, and it’s not like there are any in Colorado. Or near Colorado for that matter.”
“True.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket and looked it up. “According to Google Maps the nearest one is just over half an hour away in Cape May. We’ll go tomorrow.”
She squealed and gave him a peck on the cheek, “Yay! Thank you, you’re the best.”
“Remember that the next time I do something stupid.”
She smiled brightly at him, “Deal.”
The next day at the lighthouse, Annie discovered that Jeff had an issue with heights. She was ahead of him as they climbed the narrow spiral staircase, so she didn’t notice that about two-thirds of the way up he started to lose some of the color in his face and get a little clammy. Even watching her ass as she climbed the stairs in shorts like he had been doing wasn’t enough to distract him anymore.
When they got to the top Annie bounced excitedly, “Look how far you can see from up here! There’s the boardwalk, see the ferris wheel?”
“Uh huh.”
She finally turned to look at him and saw how pale he had become. “Jeff, are you okay?” She put her hand to his forehead to check his temperature.
“Fine,” His voice was a bit higher than usual.
“Are you sure? You look a little…off. Are you afraid of heights?”
Jeff scoffed, “No.”
She gave him that ‘come on’ look, “Jeff.”
“Maybe. A little.”
“Why didn’t you say something before we climbed all the way up here?”
“Because you wanted to. I’m okay, really. I can deal with it. It’s just…a little higher than I was expecting.”
“Aww you did it for me even though you don’t like heights?”
He shrugged, trying to act nonchalant, “Well, you were excited about it so…”
Annie looked up at him with her ‘I’m so proud of Jeff’ face, his personal favorite. She wrapped her arms around his torso and rested her head on his chest so she was still looking out, “Thank you.”
His arm slid around her (the other clinging securely to the railing) and he kissed the top of her head, “Anything for you, Milady.” He felt her grip on him tighten and then some of the tension leave his body. He still wasn’t thrilled about being up there, but having Annie hugging him like that definitely made it more bearable. “I will admit it’s a really nice view. I just have to try not to think about the fact that I’m 160 feet up in the air.”
“Mentioning it probably isn’t the best way to get your mind off of it. Oh, see that thing sticking out of the water over there?”
He followed where her finger was pointing to see a gray and green thing sticking out of the shallow water near the sand. “Yeah, what is it? I can’t tell.”
“I was reading up on the history of the area last night…”
“Of course you were.”
“Shut up. Anyway, I came across something about a concrete ship that sank off the coast of Cape May. At the end of World War One the government built a few of them to take soldiers over to Europe but everyone was afraid of them, the soldiers called them floating tombstones. After the war they used it as a ferry across the Delaware Bay but it sank not long after in a storm. I bet that’s it.”
“Wow, nothing about a concrete ship sounds safe. How the hell does it even float?”
“No idea, but I wouldn’t get on one that’s for sure.” She pulled her camera out of her pocket and took some pictures. Jeff let go of the railing long enough to take a picture with one hand and put the other around her shoulders to get a shot of both of them up there.
He looked back at it and smiled, “You have to send me that one.”
“I will. Come on, I think you deserve a drink for this. It’s on me.”
“Hmm well in that case I think I’ll get the oldest scotch on the menu.”
Annie laughed, “Don’t push it, Winger. Can you go ahead of me on the stairs? I don’t like doing down staircases like this, it gives me vertigo.”
“Oh, yeah sure.” He took her hand and led her down the narrow spiraling stairs. When they got to the bottom, instead of letting go of each other, they laced their fingers together and headed back to the parking lot.
Twelve hours later, after a day spent in Cape May sight-seeing and shopping, Jeff woke up and blinked into the darkness a few times. When he went to take a deep breath he noticed a weight on his chest and looked down. Annie was lying on top of him; she was sound asleep with her head nestled into the crook of his neck and her hand bunched around his shirt. He hated to wake her up but someone of his size was not meant to sleep on average sized couches and he could feel his joints starting to ache. He smoothed his hand down her hair and kissed the top of her head, “Annie, wake up.”
Annie hummed against him and shifted a bit but that was it.
“Hey, Annie, come on. We fell asleep on the couch, let’s go to bed.”
Her eyes opened and she sat up a little too look at him, “Huh?”
Jeff couldn’t help but chuckle as she sleepily blinked down at him. “We fell asleep on the couch, lets go to bed,” He repeated.
“Oh, okay.” She sat up the rest of the way and untangled her legs from his. “You’re a comfy pillow,” She mumbled.
He laughed again as he got up, “Thanks.” He helped her to her feet and put his hand on her hip to steady her as she wobbled a little. “You okay?”
“Mmm hmm. Why do we have to move?”
“Because beds are more comfortable than couches,” He said as he led her up the stairs.
“I was comfortable,” She whined.
“Then you’ll be even more comfortable in a bed.”
Annie pouted, “You’re mean.”
“Yes, I know. I’m a horrible person for not letting you sleep on a couch.”
“I wasn’t sleeping on a couch, I was sleeping on you.”
Jeff stopped in the hallway, “Would you like to continue sleeping on me in my room or go to your own?”
“Wanna sleep in yours.”
“K, come on.” He took her hand and gently pulled her towards the master bedroom then tugged back the sheets and they both crawled in. Annie snuggled into his chest again and let out a contented sigh. Jeff kissed her head as he wrapped his arms around her, “Isn’t this better?”
She hummed her agreement before she fell back into a peaceful sleep, being lulled by Jeff’s heartbeat and the sounds of the ocean through the open windows. Jeff laid there, listening to her soft, even breathing. The scent of her shampoo that he had grown so familiar with mixed with the smell of the salty ocean air and he breathed it in. That’s when something hit him. The tight, twisted feeling deep inside of him that had been there for as long as he could remember wasn’t there, or at least had subsided enough that he couldn’t notice it. The feeling ebbed and flowed over the years, and he had gotten pretty good at ignoring it, but it was always there. For most of his life he had assumed it was normal for everyone. He suspected the past week spent with Annie, and how having her asleep in his arms, had something to do with it. He placed a soft kiss on the top of her head before drifting off to sleep again.
Link to part two: http://xtiltawhirlx.livejournal.com/2463.html
Rating: M for Languange and Smut
Disclaimer: Not mine!
Word Count: 11,766 This kind of got away from me.
A/N: I sort of hate this and sort of don't, but I've been messing with it for long enough. Also, it's set where it is because it's where I've spent the majority of my vacations so it's easiest for me to work into a story.
Two days after classes ended Jeff boarded a plane and headed east. It wasn’t exactly a secret that he had a rough year and he decided he needed to get away. Away from his apartment, away from the strange politics of the study group, and away from Greendale in general. He felt like he was suffocating. He happened to mention one day at work that he was looking into places to go and one of the partners overheard him. He offered Jeff the use of his beach house on the Jersey Shore for as long as he wanted, saying that he didn’t like leaving the house empty for extended periods of time. Jeff jumped at the chance and booked a flight.
Jeff didn’t tell his friends about his plan. The day after he landed in New Jersey he sent them all a mass text saying he would be MIA for a while then turned off his phone. For the first week he enjoyed the solitude. He would run on the beach or go for a swim, walk around town, or just drive around exploring the new sights. Sometimes he just sat on the balcony that was off of the master bedroom and looked out at the ocean. He was glad that there weren’t a ton of people around since tourist season hadn’t kicked in yet, most kids were still in school.
After about a week and a half Jeff realized something, though. He didn’t want to be by himself anymore. He thought of the group occasionally, but he thought of Annie the most. Every time he saw something he thought she would like he wished she was there so he could show her and see her face light up.
Annie was folding her laundry one early afternoon when her phone began to ring on the dresser. She grabbed it and saw Jeff’s picture on the screen. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion and answered it, “Hello?”
“Hey, Annie.”
“Jeff? Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“Where are you? Your text kind of freaked everyone out.”
“I figured when I turned my phone on and had like thirty missed calls and texts. I’m in New Jersey.”
Annie sat on her bed, “What? Why?”
“I just needed to get away and clear my head. A partner at the law firm offered me his beach house here for as long as I want.”
“Oh, wow. When are you coming back?”
“I don’t know. Umm, listen…the reason I’m calling is…I was wondering if, you know, you maybe wanted to fly out and stay for a bit, too? I think you’d like it here.”
Annie’s eyebrows shot up, “Oh, umm, huh?”
Jeff felt his stomach twist with nerves, he felt like he was in high school asking his crush to prom. “Yeah, I mean it’s a really nice house and there are extra bedrooms, it’s only a few blocks from the beach so you can walk there. Or walk into the center of town where there are restaurants and shops and stuff. It’s starting to get boring wandering around here by myself.” Jeff knew he was babbling but he couldn’t help it. “I’m still doing some consulting work from here but most of the time I’m free so we could just hang out or whatever. And I remember you saying how much you like the beach…”
“Yeah, I do. But, umm, I can’t really afford a plane ticket, especially on such short notice…”
“I’ll pay for it,” He quickly blurted out.
“What? No, Jeff…”
“Or I have enough frequent flyer miles from before Greendale, I can use those.”
“Don’t waste your frequent flyer miles on me.”
Jeff scoffed on the other end, “I’d hardly call that a waste, Annie. Look, there are absolutely no expectations here. I just want some company and figured we could have a good time going to the beach and boardwalk and stuff.”
Annie bit her lip and ran through about fifteen different scenarios of what could happen if she went in roughly as many seconds. Ultimately what made her decide was the hint of pleading she heard in his voice. She knew he had been having a rough time and if having her there would make him feel a bit better, then she would do it. “Okay,” She said finally.
Jeff let out the breath he had been holding, “Okay? You’ll come?”
“I’ll come.”
His smile was obvious in his voice, even over the phone, “Great. I’ll find a flight for you. Any particular day?”
“Umm, no. I guess not. How long will this be?”
“I don’t know. Whenever you want to leave I’ll book you a return flight.”
Three days later Troy and Abed dropped her off at the airport. She told them that her Aunt in Pennsylvania had invited her to stay for a few weeks and left it at that, despite Abed’s questioning looks. She felt bad about lying to her roommates, but she and Jeff didn’t want anyone knowing what was actually going on. The last thing Jeff wanted was to deal with that can of worms right now.
When Annie came through the revolving doors to the baggage claim area she quickly spotted Jeff. He was slumped down in one of the chairs that lined the windows, wearing a light blue polo shirt, cargo shorts, and flip flops. He glanced up and noticed Annie walking towards him with a bright smile on her face. Jeff pushed himself up and couldn’t stop the big smile from spreading across his own lips. As soon as they closed the distance between them he enveloped her in a bear hug, lifting her off the ground and crushing her body into his.
Annie wrapped her arms around his shoulders and laughed at his greeting, “Nice to see you, too.”
He put her back on the ground and smiled a bit sheepishly, “Yeah, well…I’m guessing you checked a bag?”
“Duh. I also really have to pee,” She bounced a little and looked around for a bathroom.
“Over there,” He pointed to their left.
“Be right back!” She took off in the direction of the bathroom and Jeff chuckled as he watched her disappear.
When she came back a few minutes later the bags were starting to come off the carousel. “Oh, there’s mine!” She said pointing to a big suitcase that was chocolate brown with pink polka dots.
“I’ll get it.” Jeff grabbed it with one hand and dropped it on the floor to pull out the handle. “Jeez, what do you have in here? Rocks?”
“Well since I don’t know how long I’ll be here and wasn’t sure about the weather I probably over packed.”
“Probably?” He teased.
“Oh like you’re one to talk, I’m sure you brought more clothes and hair care products than I did.”
Jeff smirked at her, “Actually, we’re probably about even.”
“Uh huh, so shut it, Winger.”
He clucked his tongue, “So mean to the man who just paid for your plane ticket and invited you to stay at a beach house for free.”
She laughed as they headed out of the airport and into the parking garage. “How can I ever make it up to you?”
“Hmm, I don’t know. I’ll have to think about it. In the meantime, are you hungry?”
“Sort of. I bought an overpriced turkey sandwich before I got on the plane.”
“You like seafood right?”
“I love seafood.”
“Good. There’s a place I found a few days ago that gives you a one pound lobster, mussels, clams, shrimp, potatoes, and corn for $20.”
“Holy crap, I’m in. That would cost like $50 at home.”
“I know. I’m going to try and get my fill of it while I’m here.” He stopped in front of a silver Infiniti and unlocked it.
“You rented an Infiniti?”
“No, it belongs to Pete, the guy who owns the house. He told me to drive it because it needs to be used.” He put her suitcase in the back and they got in. “Ready?”
“Yup! I’m so excited, I haven’t been to the coast in years.”
He smiled and put the car in reverse, “Alright, then let’s go.”
An hour later they were seated at an outside table at a seaside restaurant. It was the kind of place that served the food on heavy paper plates and had plastic tables and chairs on the patio. After they ordered Annie watched the waves crash over the rocks for a minute before she turned her attention back to Jeff. “I really appreciate you inviting me. It’s been years since I’ve been on a real vacation, and I’ve never been on one that wasn’t with family.”
“Really?”
“Really. The last time I was at the beach was the summer when I was 16. My Dad had some conference thing in Florida and decided to bring me. My Mom fought him tooth and nail because she didn’t want me to go with him. She said it was a waste of time. She only gave in when he had his lawyer call her to remind her of the custody agreement. I remember her bringing flash cards to the beach when I was little and making me sit there and practice before I could play.”
“Jesus, you didn’t stand a chance.”
She smiled, “I know, right?”
“Well, I’m proud of you.”
“For what?”
“Would the Annie from three years ago fly halfway across the country with only a few days notice to go to a place she’s never been before for an unknown length of time?”
“No, she definitely wouldn’t have. She’d panic at the idea of it.”
“See? Look how far you’ve come.”
“But Annie from three years ago didn’t have anyone in her life who would invite her do that, either.”
Jeff winced, he hated being reminded of her past. It broke his heart a little to think of how alone she used to be. In his mind she was the last person in the world to deserve that. “Jeff from three years ago didn’t have anyone in his life that he’d want to invite,” He said quietly.
Annie blushed a little and fiddled with the straw in her iced tea. “Well, the important thing is that now we both do.”
He smiled softly at her, “Yeah, I guess it is.”
For the first couple of days their relationship was pretty much exactly as it was at home. Things weren’t awkward, they were just overly aware of each other. When one would touch the other, intentionally or not, it immediately jumped to the forefront of both of their minds. Jeff was extra sneaky about stealing glances of Annie in her bikini or tank top and pajama shorts. She did her best not to be too obvious about staring when he was wearing only his bathing suit or walked around shirtless with real bedhead in the morning.
The more one on one time they spent together, away from the prying eyes of their friends, the more comfortable with each other they became. Within days, a touch between them had become normal and automatic. He would absentmindedly put his hand on the small of her back when they were walking, or she would link arms with him and rest her head on his upper arm or shoulder. They sat closer together on the couch. He would kiss the top of her head or hand and she would get on her tip toes to give him a peck on the cheek. They both notice the quick change, but neither one of them mentions it, they just enjoy it.
X-X-X-X-X
Annie was sitting in a beach chair under one of the umbrellas that was set up and reading a book. Jeff was back at the house finishing up some work. The beach was mostly empty, except for a few people a bit further down and the occasional person walking by. Suddenly she noticed a long shadow in front of her and looked up. Jeff was standing there in black and red board shorts that hung low on his hips and had a towel slung over his shoulder. “You even read at the beach?”
“Lots of people read on the beach.”
He sighed and threw the towel on top of her bag, “This won’t do at all.”
Before she even had time to respond he had hoisted her up from the chair and had her over his shoulder. Annie squirmed and protested but he just tightened his grip on her and headed towards the water. “Jeff! No! Come on the water is really cold!”
“Oh relax, it’s not that bad.”
“The thingy at the life guard station said it’s 58 degrees!”
“Yup, I saw. You’ll live,” He said as he walked into the water. It was chilly, but he could deal with it.
Annie shrieked when it hit her skin, “Jeff! Oh my god I hate you!”
“No you don’t.”
“Yes I do! It’s freezing!”
“You’ll get used to it.” He finally stopped when the water was just above elbow deep on him. He loosened his grip and she went to get down, but then realized she couldn’t stand and panicked a bit.
She wrapped her legs tightly around his waist and her arms around his neck, both to keep herself above water and try to keep warm with his body heat. “Okay, can we please go back? I don’t like being so far out in the ocean that I can’t stand.”
“You can swim,” He said wrapping his arms around her. Now he was very glad the water was as chilly as it was. For more reasons than one.
“So? That’s not gonna help much if I get swept away by I rogue ocean current!”
Jeff chuckled, “I’m not going to let you get carried out to sea. Besides, I can stand just fine.”
Annie clung to him tighter and buried her face into his neck. “I’ve mentioned I hate you, right?”
“Yup.”
A particularly strong wave hit them and knocked Jeff off of his footing for a second. “Oh god can we please go back now before we either drown or freeze to death?” She pleaded.
“Alright, alright calm down.” Jeff carried her back to the beach and she didn’t let go of him until the water was just below her knees.
Once she was back on the sand she moved her chair out from under the umbrella so it was in the sun and sat down. “Did you put sun block on?”
“On my face.”
“That’s it?”
He circled his finger around his face, “Money maker.”
Annie rolled her eyes and threw his towel at him, “Dry off then put it on at least your back and shoulders. There’s some in my bag.” She dug it out and handed it to him.
“It always makes my skin feel weird and greasy.”
She picked up her book again, “Fine. But don’t come crying to me when you’re covered in sun spots in fifteen years.”
Jeff glared at her and started drying off, “Fine. I’ll put sun block on. Happy?”
“Thrilled,” She said without looking up from the page she was reading.
He rubbed some into his chest and arms then held the bottle out to her.
Annie looked up at him, “What?”
“I can’t reach to do my back.”
“You have the arm span of a pterodactyl and can’t reach your back?”
“Not all of it.”
She put her book down again before standing up and taking the bottle from him. She squirted some into her hands and began rubbing it into his smooth skin, trying desperately not to notice how she could feel his well-defined muscles just underneath the surface.
“And for the record, a pterodactyl would have a wing span, not an arm span.”
“I know, but I couldn’t think of a better example.” She finished rubbing in the sun block. “There you go.”
“Thanks.” He grabbed another nearby chair and put it down next to hers, then sat down and slid on his aviators.
“There’s a People Magazine in my bag if you want it,” She offered.
“Nah, I’ve been reading files all morning, my eyes need a rest. Unless of course you’ve got an issue of Maxim or something in there.”
Annie laughed and kicked him playfully, “Don’t be gross.”
“Oh, come on. I guarantee you that right now you’re wearing less than some of the girls in that magazine.”
She huffed, ready to make a retort, but then looked down at her bikini and shut her mouth. Jeff laughed, knowing full well that he got her. She kicked him again, this time not quite as playfully.
There’s silence between them for a bit. Annie has given up on her book and she’s watching a little girl and her mom build a sand castle further down the beach. She gets lost in her own thoughts, wishing her own mother had done that with her, rather than busting out the flash cards and quizzing her daughter on state capitals.
Jeff’s voice breaks her out of it. “Why don’t we hang out together more?”
She head snapped towards him and she blinked, “Huh?
“Why don’t we hang out together more? Like just us, without the rest of the group. I mean we’ve known each other for three years and I feel like I’ve learned more about you in the past five days than I have in all that time.”
“Oh. I don’t know. Probably a combination of my weird hang-ups, your weird hang-ups, and the group’s weird hang-ups.”
“Hmm. Well that’s stupid,” He concluded. “I like this,” He said motioning between them. “We should keep it up when we get home.”
Annie smiled, “I like it, too. We should definitely keep it up.”
Later that night, they walked to an outdoor ice cream stand. As they waited in line, Annie noticed a group of women who seemed to be a few years older than her checking Jeff out. Not that she could blame them, but still. A weird wave of possessiveness came over her. It’s not like Jeff was her boyfriend, but whatever their relationship status was, he was hers damn it. She linked her hand around his elbow and pressed herself a little closer into his side. Jeff looked down at her and smiled, completely unaware of the reason for Annie’s sudden grip on him. Annie glanced over at the other women again and shot them a smug smile, causing them to look away. Of course, then it dawned on her that what she just did was what Jeff had been doing to her for the past two and a half years, getting jealous of anyone who showed interest in her. Not that it ruined her momentary sense of self-satisfaction, though.
They got their ice cream cones then headed out of the business district to an area that was a bit quieter. Jeff noticed a stone retaining wall and easily hopped up with just one hand. Annie tried to do the same but her height made it much more difficult. He watched her with amusement, “Having trouble?”
“Yes, because I’m not a giant.”
He laughed and jumped back down then handed her his ice cream, “Hold this.” Then he picked her up from under her arms and sat her on the wall.
“Show off,” She said with a smile.
Jeff got back up and took his ice cream back, “You know you’re impressed by my awesome height and muscles.”
Annie bumped her shoulder with his, “You got me.”
“Knew it.”
Suddenly an all too familiar song coming from a nearby restaurant caught Annie’s attention. She gasped and smiled at him wickedly.
“What?” He asked confused.
“Do you hear that?”
“Hear what…oh no.”
Annie started singing, “There used to be a graying tower alone on the sea, you became the light on the dark side of me…”
“Stop it.”
“Love remained a drug that’s the high and not the pill, but did you know, that when it snows, my eyes become large and the light that you shine can be seen…”
“Oh god…”
“BABY I COMPARE YOU TO A KISS FROM THE ROSE ON THE GRAY! OH THE MORE I GET OF YOU THE STRANGER IT FEELS YEAH! NOW THAT YOUR ROSE IS IN BLOOM, A LIGHT HITS THE GLOOM ON THE GRAY!”
“I swear I’ll push you off of here and then you’ll never be able to get back up.”
Annie’s singing dissolved into fits of giggles. Jeff stared at her with a strange mix of affection, annoyance, and amusement. When she finally got her giggling under control he shook his head. “Are you done? Because I’m pretty sure like twenty people just heard you sing that.”
She giggled one more time as she licked at her ice cream to catch the drips. “Better than half of Greendale.”
“Ugh. I never liked that song but now it haunts my dreams.”
“And with good reason. Actually, I kind of feel like I’m living in Dean Pelton’s fantasy.”
“I’m not sure I even want to know.”
“Oh, come on. A beach vacation with Jeff Winger? I bet he’d give up all of his dalmatian memorabilia and costumes for a chance like this.”
“I’ll still push you off you know.”
“Pfft no you won’t.”
“How do you know? Keep bringing him up and I just might.”
“You won’t because you’d be too afraid of hurting me, if anything you’d get down, then gently pick me up and put me back on the ground, then jump back up. And let’s face it, that sounds much less intimidating.”
He smiled at her, “Okay, you got me there.”
“Uh huh. I want to go to a lighthouse.”
“Holy change of subject Batman.”
Annie laughed, “I know, but I like lighthouses, and it’s not like there are any in Colorado. Or near Colorado for that matter.”
“True.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket and looked it up. “According to Google Maps the nearest one is just over half an hour away in Cape May. We’ll go tomorrow.”
She squealed and gave him a peck on the cheek, “Yay! Thank you, you’re the best.”
“Remember that the next time I do something stupid.”
She smiled brightly at him, “Deal.”
The next day at the lighthouse, Annie discovered that Jeff had an issue with heights. She was ahead of him as they climbed the narrow spiral staircase, so she didn’t notice that about two-thirds of the way up he started to lose some of the color in his face and get a little clammy. Even watching her ass as she climbed the stairs in shorts like he had been doing wasn’t enough to distract him anymore.
When they got to the top Annie bounced excitedly, “Look how far you can see from up here! There’s the boardwalk, see the ferris wheel?”
“Uh huh.”
She finally turned to look at him and saw how pale he had become. “Jeff, are you okay?” She put her hand to his forehead to check his temperature.
“Fine,” His voice was a bit higher than usual.
“Are you sure? You look a little…off. Are you afraid of heights?”
Jeff scoffed, “No.”
She gave him that ‘come on’ look, “Jeff.”
“Maybe. A little.”
“Why didn’t you say something before we climbed all the way up here?”
“Because you wanted to. I’m okay, really. I can deal with it. It’s just…a little higher than I was expecting.”
“Aww you did it for me even though you don’t like heights?”
He shrugged, trying to act nonchalant, “Well, you were excited about it so…”
Annie looked up at him with her ‘I’m so proud of Jeff’ face, his personal favorite. She wrapped her arms around his torso and rested her head on his chest so she was still looking out, “Thank you.”
His arm slid around her (the other clinging securely to the railing) and he kissed the top of her head, “Anything for you, Milady.” He felt her grip on him tighten and then some of the tension leave his body. He still wasn’t thrilled about being up there, but having Annie hugging him like that definitely made it more bearable. “I will admit it’s a really nice view. I just have to try not to think about the fact that I’m 160 feet up in the air.”
“Mentioning it probably isn’t the best way to get your mind off of it. Oh, see that thing sticking out of the water over there?”
He followed where her finger was pointing to see a gray and green thing sticking out of the shallow water near the sand. “Yeah, what is it? I can’t tell.”
“I was reading up on the history of the area last night…”
“Of course you were.”
“Shut up. Anyway, I came across something about a concrete ship that sank off the coast of Cape May. At the end of World War One the government built a few of them to take soldiers over to Europe but everyone was afraid of them, the soldiers called them floating tombstones. After the war they used it as a ferry across the Delaware Bay but it sank not long after in a storm. I bet that’s it.”
“Wow, nothing about a concrete ship sounds safe. How the hell does it even float?”
“No idea, but I wouldn’t get on one that’s for sure.” She pulled her camera out of her pocket and took some pictures. Jeff let go of the railing long enough to take a picture with one hand and put the other around her shoulders to get a shot of both of them up there.
He looked back at it and smiled, “You have to send me that one.”
“I will. Come on, I think you deserve a drink for this. It’s on me.”
“Hmm well in that case I think I’ll get the oldest scotch on the menu.”
Annie laughed, “Don’t push it, Winger. Can you go ahead of me on the stairs? I don’t like doing down staircases like this, it gives me vertigo.”
“Oh, yeah sure.” He took her hand and led her down the narrow spiraling stairs. When they got to the bottom, instead of letting go of each other, they laced their fingers together and headed back to the parking lot.
Twelve hours later, after a day spent in Cape May sight-seeing and shopping, Jeff woke up and blinked into the darkness a few times. When he went to take a deep breath he noticed a weight on his chest and looked down. Annie was lying on top of him; she was sound asleep with her head nestled into the crook of his neck and her hand bunched around his shirt. He hated to wake her up but someone of his size was not meant to sleep on average sized couches and he could feel his joints starting to ache. He smoothed his hand down her hair and kissed the top of her head, “Annie, wake up.”
Annie hummed against him and shifted a bit but that was it.
“Hey, Annie, come on. We fell asleep on the couch, let’s go to bed.”
Her eyes opened and she sat up a little too look at him, “Huh?”
Jeff couldn’t help but chuckle as she sleepily blinked down at him. “We fell asleep on the couch, lets go to bed,” He repeated.
“Oh, okay.” She sat up the rest of the way and untangled her legs from his. “You’re a comfy pillow,” She mumbled.
He laughed again as he got up, “Thanks.” He helped her to her feet and put his hand on her hip to steady her as she wobbled a little. “You okay?”
“Mmm hmm. Why do we have to move?”
“Because beds are more comfortable than couches,” He said as he led her up the stairs.
“I was comfortable,” She whined.
“Then you’ll be even more comfortable in a bed.”
Annie pouted, “You’re mean.”
“Yes, I know. I’m a horrible person for not letting you sleep on a couch.”
“I wasn’t sleeping on a couch, I was sleeping on you.”
Jeff stopped in the hallway, “Would you like to continue sleeping on me in my room or go to your own?”
“Wanna sleep in yours.”
“K, come on.” He took her hand and gently pulled her towards the master bedroom then tugged back the sheets and they both crawled in. Annie snuggled into his chest again and let out a contented sigh. Jeff kissed her head as he wrapped his arms around her, “Isn’t this better?”
She hummed her agreement before she fell back into a peaceful sleep, being lulled by Jeff’s heartbeat and the sounds of the ocean through the open windows. Jeff laid there, listening to her soft, even breathing. The scent of her shampoo that he had grown so familiar with mixed with the smell of the salty ocean air and he breathed it in. That’s when something hit him. The tight, twisted feeling deep inside of him that had been there for as long as he could remember wasn’t there, or at least had subsided enough that he couldn’t notice it. The feeling ebbed and flowed over the years, and he had gotten pretty good at ignoring it, but it was always there. For most of his life he had assumed it was normal for everyone. He suspected the past week spent with Annie, and how having her asleep in his arms, had something to do with it. He placed a soft kiss on the top of her head before drifting off to sleep again.
Link to part two: http://xtiltawhirlx.livejournal.com/2463.html