A/N: lyrics from "Groovy Kind of Love" by Phil Collins. It's the song playing when they did the slo-mo chicken dance.
When I'm feeling blue, all I have to do
Is take a look at you, then I'm not so blue
Breaking it off with Caroline was bittersweet. They had a history together and Nick had been in love with her for so long, but as his friends, namely Jess, helped him realize, it was an extremely unhealthy relationship. He had to let her go.
Catching the last bit of dampness from the corner of his eye and wiping it on his vest, he asked Jess to join him on the dance floor. The way she answered him was short, no doubt because of the way he had treated her earlier. He wanted to make it up to her, to show her how much he appreciated her. He asked her more fervently, then, to come with him and as he stopped in the middle of the dance floor, she turned to him in surprise.
His heart flipped in his chest at the way realization dawned on her, how her mouth dropped open slightly, the surprised blink of her eyes and quick rise of her chest on a quiet gasp.
This woman in front of him who had come into his life like a whirlwind, adding color to the constant gray of his life that had set in after Caroline had left him; the woman who could make him smile when no one else could, was standing in front of him anticipating his next move.
He stepped forward slowly, placing a hand on her hip and searching her face for any signs that he'd crossed a line. Seeing none, he reached down and nudged her hand with his other one until she turned it into his palm, tentatively grasping it as he brought it upwards and began to sway with her to the music. The way she looked at him, vulnerable, breathless, and with anticipation, took his breath away.
When you're close to me, I can feel your heart beat
I can hear you breathing in my ear
Sliding his arm around her waist to bring her closer, he met no resistance from her. Softly she met him in the middle, coming together so that they were pressed against each other so closely they couldn't look into each others faces any longer. They moved as one in their own corner of the dance floor, his arm securely around her small waist, and her breath warm in his ear.
Her next move was unexpected. He had been the initiator this whole time of each one of their moves since he'd asked her to come with him, but she slipped her hand from his grip, and wrapped both of her arms around his shoulders. With their chests pressed so firmly together, he felt the erratic beating of her heart. He slipped both arms around her waist and leaned the side of his head against hers. All thoughts of Caroline were a distant memory. He'd never felt with her the way he was feeling in that moment with Jess tucked against him. He closed his eyes and traced the shell of her ear with the tip of his nose. She took in a quick, shuddering breath that he felt in the rise of her chest and as a whisper in his ear.
He closed his eyes in contentment, realizing that nothing he'd had with Caroline could ever be compared to what he was feeling with Jess in that moment. He'd been too caught up in the past to realize what was right in front of him.
when Jess' hands slid from around his neck to land on his upper arms, he realized the song was over and that they'd continued swaying in the silence, still caught up in each other.
He slid his arms from around her waist and briefly placed his hands on her hips. She ducked her head and backed away slightly. She gazed up at him briefly, her blue eyes shaded through her dark eye lashes.
On the car ride home, she was uncharacteristically quiet. He was unsettled by her silence as she didn't even talk to him since before they had danced. She'd only glanced at him quickly as the four of them were leaving.
She remained quiet in the elevator all the way up to the fourth floor and then retreated to her room the minute they walked into the loft.
"You really freaked her out, Nick," said Schmidt.
"Yeah, man, that was pretty intense." Winston added.
"You guys really think she was uncomfortable?" Had he really read her completely wrong when they were on the dance floor?
"If the fact that she ran to her room the minute we walked in the door is any indication, I'd say yes."
Nick hung his head for a moment. He needed to fix this.
When I kiss your lips, ooh I start to shiver
Can't control the quivering inside
Nick quietly knocked on her bedroom door, and he almost turned back to his room when he finally heard her quiet voice telling him it was ok to come in.
When he opened the door he saw her sitting indian-style on her bed, a pillow in her lap, phone in hand, eyes glassy with unshed tears.
"Jess, are you okay?"
She sniffled and tossed her phone onto the bed. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just texting with Cece."
"Is she okay?"
"Yeah, yes, she's fine. What's up?"
He exhaled. "Just wanted to check on you. You haven't said a word to any of us since... we danced. I just wanted to apologize if I made you uncomfortable."
"Oh yeah, no it's fine. I know you were just trying to make Caroline jealous. We're cool." She looked down to her bed spread, tracing a flower with her finger.
His stomach fell to the floor. "Jess. Is that what you think?"
"Yeah, I mean, you broke things off with her and came right over to ask me to dance. That's why you invited me to the wedding in the first place, right? To make her jealous." Her red-rimmed eyes met his.
"Yeah, that is why I initially invited you."
"Yeah, so it's fine. I'm going to go to bed now, ok?"
She got up from her bed and walked to her door, holding it open for him.
No way. He had to fix this.
"Jess, wait, you didn't let me finish."
"I'm tired, Nick."
"Jess. listen. Yes, while I did ask you to come with me in order to make Caroline jealous, that is not why I danced with you."
She looked up at him, her mouth dropping open slightly.
"I asked you to dance because after breaking up with her, I looked at you and all of that sadness and nostalgia faded. I'd just said goodbye to the woman I had once loved so much, but as soon as I looked at you I realized that she never made me as happy as you do."
Her eyes were shining once more as she took a shuddering breath.
He stepped forward, cupping her face and caressing her cheekbone with his thumb. He caught a stray tear that escaped her eye. "I'm sorry I made you cry," he whispered. "I'm sorry that I made you think that our dance wasn't real."
He ducked down, wrapping his arms firmly around her waist before lifting her up slightly, fitting their lips together slowly. She threw her arms around his neck and made a small whimper in the back of her throat.
His lips were gentle, kissing her tenderly, sucking lightly on her bottom lip. She breathed shuddering breaths, pushing her lips more firmly into his, touching the tip of her tongue to his bottom lip and covering it once again with her lips.
They parted, resting their foreheads together, letting their breathing slow.
She smiled at him as he backed up slightly, still holding onto her hips.
"Okay, I'll let you get to bed now," he murmured, placing another quick kiss on her lips.
"Okay," she said breathlessly.
"See you tomorrow, Jess."
She nodded. "See you tomorrow, Nick."
He headed toward the doorway and turned. "Can I take you out for breakfast in the morning?"
"Yes, that would be nice," she smiled.
He tapped her doorway. "Ok, 'night."
She waved as he shut the door behind him.
She touched her cool fingers to her lips, feeling the ghost of his mouth on hers. She smiled and crawled under her blankets looking forward to breakfast and to a beginning of something more.