A/N: Personally I felt this week's ep was consistently good from beginning to end. While the general plot involved all the characters (which is my favorite kind), they also had their own thing on the side. Also, I've just about died several times watching the kiss. How perfect was it for their first time? Also, feedback would be wonderful c:

MORNING AFTER

"He did what?!" Cece's voice screeches through the phone's speakers. Jess can hear both the question mark and exclamation mark in her best friend's shock.

It's the morning after the kiss happened. Everything is still fresh in her mind, remembering the details vividly as if it happened seconds ago. How he pulled her towards him and they both sank into it. His hands on her back, then her waist, then on her back again and all together holding her. His body pressed so close to hers she could feel his warmth morphing with hers. His lips on hers. Her arms wrapped around his neck. The two little kisses at the end before he pulled away. His hot breath against her face when he said "I meant something like that". The look on his face before retreating back to his room. It was almost sad, that look.

"Yeah, and it wasn't a small one either – "

Two knocks rap on her bedroom door. Nick's head emerges through the opening, his face wearing the same look as last night. "Can we talk?" He sounds afraid.

"I'll call you back," Jess says into the phone before tossing it onto her bed. It bounces and somersaults before landing with the screen facing up.

"Wait but – " Cece is cut off before she gets in a third word.

Crossing her arms, she makes a tiny nod of her head meaning he can come in. He opens the door wider to let the rest of himself in, closing it clumsily behind him. He starts approaching her but stops when he sees her step back. The room feels foreign to him now; he doesn't know where to stand.

Jess's eyes are on him, but he avoids them since he feels uncomfortable just looking at her after what he did; how could he make eye contact? There is a moment of silence before she speaks.

"What the hell were you thinking?"

The question takes him off guard. He wasn't expecting her to be particularly happy about what happened, but neither was he hoping she'd be so mad about it. He wants to mention that she didn't stop him and instead kissed him back, so it bothers him that she's acting like he's fully at fault. But Nick doesn't bring it up; things are already complicated as it is.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking. We were talking about kissing… I just got caught up in the moment." It's the best he can muster up.

"Caught up in the moment? The moment passed Nick! How could you have been caught up in a moment that was already gone?"

He's quiet. He doesn't know what else to tell her. What reason could he give her other than him wanting to kiss her not for the game but for himself? Other than him knowingly going after someone who was already spoken for? Other than him actually liking her and wanting to be with her? Jess would never accept those reasons. Not while she's with Sam.

It dawns on her that he can't say more, so she tries to help him.

"Have you always wanted to…?

Nick's lips are shut tighter now with his hands sweaty, clenched in fists by his side. How is he supposed to answer that? 'I thought you were weird when you first moved in here, and you still are, but I thought you were cute too. I still do.'? Or 'I thought I had feelings for you, but then I think maybe it's because I'm alone and you're always there for me and you're so nice.'? Or maybe 'I've wanted to ask you out for months, but I think better of it because we're roommates and what if things get awkward between us?'? He can't say yes because he knows she'll ask him why he didn't just kiss her before and why he waited until now to do it. He can't say no either because he'd hate to put Jess in the position of believing his feelings grew for her when she can't be with him. And also because it's a lie.

Wiping his palms on his jeans, he inhales deeply. He'll answer the question as best he can whilst avoiding the soon-to-come 'Why now?' element because he definitely can't answer that. As he opens his mouth, about to answer, a ringtone blares from the direction of Jess's phone.

He faces the phone to identify the caller, their photo flashing on the screen as she goes to pick it up and answer the call. Sam.

You should go, his brain tells him.

"You should go," his roommate tells him.