Author's Note:Okay so I've been meaning to write whatever this thing is ever since NBC dropped the news that Liz is getting married. It's basically just a description of what my mind's been like for the past two weeks because I'm honestly just filled with mixed emotions about everything that's happening.
This isn't very good but I really just needed to get this out of my head before Thursday.
I hope you do like it if you choose to read it, but it's definitely not very… satisfying?
It was 7 am, and Jack had been in the office for about half an hour, trying to finish up some of the work he had left hanging from the day before. Jonathan poured him a mug of the strongest coffee he could find in the building, and Jack tried not to let what was on his mind consume him.
Liz had come to him the day before to tell him she was getting married.
Yes, that's right. Liz Lemon is finally getting married.
His initial reaction was of excitement. It's what she's always wanted. Well, as long as he's known her. Liz was finally going to have it all.
But then a few drinks alone in his office later, he realized that he himself seemed to be going in the opposite direction of "having it all". When did the tides turn? Months ago he was the man who was happily married with a kid and about to prepare himself to take over Kabletown. And now he's divorced, trying to tank his own company, and his best friend is about to get married to a man that he doesn'treally approve of.
So that's why he found himself at work early in the morning. He couldn't sleep. The idea of Lemon getting married was driving him insane and he had so many reasons why he might be distressed that he couldn't even tell which one was the real one.
Suddenly there was a knock on his door, and he looked up to find the subject of his thoughts leaning in.
"Lemon, you're here awfully early. What's wrong?" He asked as he stood to welcome her in. She shrugged and plopped onto his couch with a soft thud.
"I couldn't sleep. I mean, I'm getting married in a few days." She said breathlessly with a smile on her face. She looked like a very excited but sleepy kid on Christmas morning. Jack nodded with understanding.
"Of course, it's quite a big deal, even if you keep acting like it isn't," he said as he waved Jonathan in to pour Lemon a cup of coffee. She accepted it happily and stretched herself out on the couch as Jonathan closed the door. Jack sat on the arm, looking down at her.
"Did you ever think it would happen to me Jack? Be honest," she asked quietly. Jack laughed and rolled his eyes.
"What, marriage? Yes, of course! If anyone deserves to have it all, Lemon, it's you."
She snorted at his response as if she didn't believe him, and then she turned her head to look out the window. He followed her gaze and noticed that there was a very tiny bit of snow falling. It would melt as soon as it hit the building, and it was almost invisible, but it easily captured their attention as the were both lost in their own thoughts. Liz was the first to speak after several minutes.
"I didn't think so. I didn't think I'd ever end up married. Sure, I hoped it would happen, but there were so many times I just didn't think it was ever going to happen." She sounded a little sad as she reflected on the disasters that were her past relationships. "Why were you so sure that I was going to end up happily with someone?"
Jack sighed. Sometimes he forgot how hard Lemon was on herself when it came to men and relationships and her self confidence.
"I don't know Lemon. I just knew how bad you wanted it. Besides," he began, but he quickly shook his head. Liz raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
"It's nothing."
"Oh come on, tell me."
"Seriously, Lemon, it's nothing."
"I'm not stupid, will you just tell me what you were going to say?"
"Fine," he muttered, already not in the mood to drag it out any longer. "I was going to say that I figured if, I don't know… after all this time, we both ended up single, that maybe we would… you know… end up together."
Jack was completely uncomfortable that he had just admitted that to Lemon. He figured that they would just end up being together. They certainly did fit well together, and they knew each other inside and out. It wouldn't have required much effort either. Jack believed that he could easily fall in love with Liz Lemon, and that he may have already.
He truly believed that he could make Liz happy if she let him.
After a few moments of avoiding her gaze, he finally built up enough courage to see her reaction. To his surprise, her jaw wasn't on the floor, nor was she crying with laughter. Instead she was twirling the spoon in her coffee slowly as she stared back out the window, a very light blush on her cheeks.
"Hmm. I don't know. I never thought that you had those kind of feelings for me, Jack. I'm not exactly your type," she muttered, still not making eye contact. He couldn't help but stare at her.
"Well. I never figured you'd go for it. I always assumed that you were completely uninterested in the idea of us being together. You've made it pretty clear in the past that you thought the idea of us even kissing to be gross," he said, defending himself. She really had no idea how much he cared about her. Heck, he had no idea how much he cared about her until now.
She finally shifted her gaze back toward him and gave him her famous eye roll.
"Come on, Jack. We've only 'kissed'"-she used air quote to emphasize this- "like once and it was in front of everyone we knew and it was being filmed! Of course I wasn't going to take it seriously!"
"So are you trying to tell me that you aren't, in fact, grossed out about the idea of us together?"
"No, well I mean, I don't know!" She said, confused and exasperated. Liz set her mug on the coffee table and was trying to look less embarrassed, but it certainly wasn't working. Jack sighed. He knew he should've just kept his mouth shut.
"I'm sorry, Lemon, I didn't mean to upset you. But it none of this matters anyways because you're marrying Criss soon enough," he muttered, heading back towards his desk. He was tempted to just pour himself a nice glass of scotch, but it was way too early, even for him, to be drinking.
"Yeah…" she said, absentmindedly, looking back out the window.
The room was silent for a while as Jack tired to go back to what he was working on and Liz was wrapped up in her thoughts. He was about to apologize to her for bringing anything up in the first place, but he figured he might as well just not say anything at all and hopefully they could just pretend that nothing had ever happened.
Suddenly, Liz stood, walked over to her boss of seven years, and kissed him.
This kiss was absolutely nothing like the kiss they had shared on Queen of Jordan, if one could even call it that. It was warm, inviting, passionate, and completely overwhelming for the both of them. Through the strong taste of coffee on both of their lips, he could also taste the toothpaste she clearly used, which to his amusement, was citrus mint. He smiled at the fact that Lemon actually tasted a little like lemons.
He was the first to pull away, as much as he didn't want to, because if he didn't breathe soon he would've passed out. Liz, however, wasn't done yet. They quickly caught their breath and their lips quickly met again. Liz draped her arms around him and he slowly pulled her onto his lap.
For the next ten minutes they made out like teenagers, but Jack was careful not to push it any further than that. This was easily one of the best moments of his life, and he knew that it certainly wasn't going to last forever.
Finally Liz slowly pulled away, her eyes closed, and her forehead resting against Jack's. Jack's eyes were closed, too. He was trying to prepare himself for Liz walking away from him as if nothing had ever happened. Instead, she sighed and didn't move.
"Why? Why did this have to happen now?" she whispered, angrily, still not ready to leave whatever it was that had just happened.
"I'm sorry," Jack muttered in anguish. "I didn't fully realize that I felt this way until yesterday."
"Yeah, of course, the moment I'm officially off the market, Jack Donaghy finally realizes that he's in love with me."
She finally opened her eyes and looked down at her mentor, who was looking more vulnerable than she had probably ever seen him. Liz let out a small sigh and climbed off of him.
"Lemon, I'm so sorry," he whispered, as he was finally brave enough to look at her. She looked like she was about to start crying or throwing things or something, and Jack realized that he may have ruined the best friendship he ever had.
"It's fine, Jack. Well. No. It's everything but fine. I don't know. I gotta go and just, figure some stuff out," she said as she headed towards the door. Jack didn't say anything as she walked out the door, but he didn't take his eyes off of her, and he watched her turn and look at him one last time before she disappeared toward the elevators.
Telling her how he felt was either the worst decision of his life or the best one.
He'd find out soon enough.
