Title: Seven Days
Author: Maritess342
Rating: PG-13/R (as indicated)
Synopsis: Jeff and Annie have seven days before she leaves for DC.
SPOILERS: For the finale, general season 2 Jeff/Annie issues.
Bzzz! Bzzz!
Jeff emerged from his shower just in time to hear his cell phone vibrate against the wooden surface of his nightstand.
He sighed and glanced with longing at the crisp, white sheets of his open bed.
Bars and their smoke, he thought. Of course, we had to get a drink, and it had to be at Britta's bar.
As he walked from the bathroom to his bed, he ran a towel over his damp hair with both hands. Small beads of water ran down his neck from his hairline, and with each step, he left dark, wet footprints on the carpeted floor of his bedroom.
At least we were all together, he thought. One last time.
He picked up his phone. With a tap of his finger, the screen came to life, bathing his face in the pale white light of the display.
Text from: Annie-I'm outside. Let me in?
"Shit!" he cursed softly. A glance at the time stamp showed him that Annie had been waiting for five minutes.
Maybe she's gone! Maybe she left? he thought as he sprinted to the door.
"Annie? You there?" he yelled as he approached the door. With a swift turn and pull, he unlocked and opened the door. "Annie!"
"Jeff!" she gasped. "Jeff!" she exclaimed.
Jeff followed the trail of her eyes over his body. "Oh, yeah. Sorry. Come on in, and let me—"
"No, I'm sorry, Jeff, I should have called," she said.
He pulled the towel around his lower half. "Make yourself at home. I'll be out in a sec."
"Oh. Okay, thanks," she said.
He sprinted back to his room and hastily pulled on a set of clean clothes. Though she is in the other room, he heard her movement as she settled into the space of his apartment. "Uh, can I get you anything?"
"No, Jeff. I'm okay," she said.
A quick glance in the mirror showed him that blue shirt and khakis he donned are clean and form fitting enough to be stylish, so he walked out of his bedroom. "No, it's okay. Let's see, I've got—"
"No, Jeff, really. But thanks," she protested.
"Oh." Not a social call, then? He thought to himself.
"Jeff? Can you . . . can we talk?" she asked as she patted the space on the couch next to her.
Uh oh. He sighed. "Is this about tonight?" he asked.
"Kind of."
"Look about tonight," began Jeff.
"Jeff."
"I don't want you to get it wrong. I'm happy for you. I am. Really."
"Jeff."
"And I want you to go. I want you to live your life. I want you to become the greatest FBI agent the FBI has ever seen."
"Jeff."
"And you'll do it too. Because you're Annie. And you're the best."
Annie smiled a little. "Jeff."
"And everyone knows it. Including me. Which is why I want you to go."
"I know you do, Jeff. And I want to go. I am going to DC for the summer. I'm not giving that up." She moved closer to him and took his hand in hers.
"You're not?" asked Jeff.
Her reply was a shake of her head and a small tug on his hand. "Please? Hear me out?"
Jeff's eyes widened slightly, but he took a seat next to hear on the couch and waited.
"What you said tonight? It meant a lot to me that you said it."
Jeff's breath caught in his throat. "Well, I meant every word, Annie."
Annie nodded. "I know you did. And I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't waiting for you to say it. I was. Two, three years ago. I was waiting. Waiting to hear from you that I meant something to you, that I wasn't crazy, that this thing that I felt wasn't just me imagining it."
"Annie, I—"
"But sometime last year, Jeff, I had let you go too. I had to move on because I'm trying to build my life, and I want things in it. I want to fill my life with real things like a career and experiences and travel . . . " She stopped and looked at their hands, still entwined, on her lap. "Love."
Jeff looked down, crestfallen. "It's my fault, Annie. You gave me every chance to step up and say something, but instead, I said nothing. And now, I've wasted whatever time we could have had . . . I wasted the chance I had to be with you."
"But you didn't."
Jeff looked up.
"You told me tonight how you felt." Annie took both of his hands in hers and gave them a small squeeze. "You told me tonight what you wanted, what your heart wanted. And now that I know, Jeff, you've given me a chance . . . you've given me a choice."
Jeff held his breath. He looked at Annie for some sign of her intentions, but in her large, bright doe eyes, he saw only his hopeful face reflected back at him.
"I'm still leaving for Quantico next week."
Jeff let out the breath he was holding, and his shoulders slumped in disappointment.
"But, for the seven days I have before I leave, I choose . . . I want to be with you, Jeff. If you'll let me."
Jeff gasped. He looked up, met her eyes, and found that she was smiling at him. "What?"
Unbidden, the image of him throwing Annie over his shoulder and carrying her into his bedroom came to his mind's eye. Though his rational brain told him that both the image and the possibility of spending a week with Annie in his room were fantasy, he found his hands already encircling her waist and pulling her closer to him.
Annie leaned forward and pressed her lips softly to his.
Holy shit! Jeff thought as he gathered her closer to him. Tonight? What the hell? WHAT THE HELL?
After a moment, Annie gently extricated herself from his embrace. "I've always wanted to do that."
"What?" asked Jeff dumbfounded.
Annie glanced at his lips and ran a smooth fingertip over their fullness. "Kiss you and know that you wanted to kiss me back."
Jeff leaned forward for another kiss, but Annie placed her finger over both his lips. "In fact, I've always wanted to do a lot of things."
Jeff emitted a squeaky growl, and in one motion, he scooped her from the couch. "Tell me to stop now, Annie."
"Or else," she asked.
"I won't want to," Jeff admitted.
Annie leaned in and kissed him again. "Then stop, please. For now, Jeff?"
With a groan, he placed her back on the couch. "Ugh," he moaned as he rubbed a hand over his face.
"Sorry," Annie whispered. "But we have seven days, and like I said, I've wanted to do a lot of things." With a quick movement, she turned and fished out a piece of paper from her pocket. "I made a list."
Jeff threw his head back and let out a loud laugh.
"Jeff! What's so funny?" Annie asked as she opened the folded yellow paper.
Still laughing, he leaned forward to kiss Annie on the forehead and wrapped her in his embrace. Pulling her toward him, he smoothed her long, brown hair against her back, his fingers playing with the soft brown tendrils. "Do I get a list too?" he asked.
He felt her nod her head against his chest. "Of course. That's number one. 'Make list with Jeff'."
"Four letters, starts with l, different word" he muttered against her hair.
"What?" she asked as she tried to look up at him.
Jeff placed another kiss against her forehead and released her. "What else is on this list?"
"Hold hands in public. Go out on real date. Kiss in public."
"You drive a tough bargain, I'm fine with all of this," he said with a grin.
Annie gave him an indulgent smile. "I'm not finished yet." She looked back down at the piece of paper. "Get into an argument. Make up."
Jeff waggled his eyebrows at her. "Mmm hmm," he hummed suggestively.
Annie bit back a laugh. "Fall asleep in Jeff's arms." She folded up the paper quickly and stashed it into her pocket. "That's it. Seven days, seven items on the list."
Jeff's breath caught again. If he could have his way, he would do each of those things with her every day for the rest of their lives. Well, everything but the arguing, he admitted to himself. Remembering the feel of her lips against his, for a brief moment, he let himself revel in the idea of touching her, kissing her, and holding her freely according to the whim of his desire. And hers, he thinks with joyful surprise. "I'm okay with all of that."
"Are you?" she asked.
"Why the list?"
Annie smiled at him with a wistful, yet hopeful, expression. "I wanted to make sure I didn't leave anything out."
Jeff felt the part of his heart devoted to Annie twinge with longing. "Annie."
"And I wanted to make sure that I didn't . . . that I didn't do anything that you or I will regret. Later."
The same part of Jeff that twinged with longing now ached with sorrow. "Because you're leaving."
Annie nodded.
Jeff sighed. I've done this to you, he realized. I've made you afraid of giving your heart, so you offer its pieces instead, he thought with guilt.
"It shall be as m'lady desires," Jeff said. He got down on one knee, took her hand, and kissed her knuckles.
Annie's eyes widened with surprise, but the corners of her mouth turned upward in delight. "Jeff!"
Jeff sat back on the couch and gave her a bright grin. Though sincere, the showiness of the expression hid the shame he felt for having waited so long to tell her how he felt. "I'm serious, Annie. This week is going to be all about you. So whatever you've got planned, put me down for it."
Annie smiled at him. "Jeff."
"For seven days, I'm going to do exactly what you say. I'm going to do what you want me to do when you want me to do it."
"Jeff," Annie said as she placed her hand on his arm.
"I, Jeff Winger, will be the best boyfriend the world has ever seen," he said.
Annie chuckled again. "Jeff, stop. I don't want you to do whatever I say whenever I say it. And I don't need you to be the perfect boyfriend because, frankly, who could be?" Annie gave his hand a squeeze. "In fact, I can throw away the list because really, what I want is to spend time with you. And being with you, as you are, is enough."
Jeff closed his eyes with relief. Wrapping his arms around Annie, he pulled her closer to him and exhaled a long shaky breath into her hair. "And you, Annie, are perfect."
"Not really, but I'll take it," she agreed with a laugh. "Also, does that mean I get to keep the list?" she asked.
Jeff chuckled. "Of course."
"Good. And, Jeff?"
"And I'll make one too," Jeff agreed.
"Thanks," Annie sighed as she leaned into his embrace.
After a few minutes hugging and kissing and touching, Jeff and Annie broke apart. "Well, it's late, I should go."
Jeff stood and reluctantly showed her to the door of his apartment. "Tomorrow then?"
Annie smiled and nodded her head. "Good night, Jeff."
Jeff took one of her hands in his and pulled her closer to him. With a tender kiss to her forehead, he said goodbye. "See you tomorrow."
And with another wave and a flip of her long brown hair, Annie left Jeff alone in his empty apartment.