"Where is everyone?" Annie asks as she takes off her coat, her eyes darting to all ends of his apartment.
Jeff shrugs his shoulders before disappearing into the kitchen. The microwave is going off, signalling that the popcorn's done.
Annie awkwardly takes a seat on his couch. She's been in the apartment more times than she can count but never alone with him.
It should be fine because they're friends and friends hang out but it's Jeff Winger. This could be dangerous or amazing or a combination of both and that scares her but also... it's Jeff Winger.
"Britta has some last minute protest for a useless cause, Abed and Troy claim that they're needed in the darkest timeline, Shirley's at the hospital because..." he stops to think for a moment. "Oh yeah, what's-his-name hit his head on something and Pierce is probably faking his death to spite us." He explains, setting a huge red bowl down on the coffee table.
Annie sighs and gets a little more comfortable and Jeff can't help but smile at how she still maintains her perfect posture.
He looks at her with that familiar smirk and then their eyes meet. There's this moment where they just gaze at each other and the awkward eye contact has already begun.
So Jeff turns away from her, and out of the corner of his eye he can see her frown and that kills him. But he can't do anything about it because it's Annie Edison.
"So, what movie do you wanna watch?" He asks and is that a crack in his voice?
Annie sighs, accepting the fact that he's forgotten about the eye contact that's a really big deal to her but he's Jeff so what does he care?
"I don't know. I'm okay with anything as long as it's not another sci-fi movie." She assures him. "I get enough of those living with Troy and Abed. I love those boys but they need to watch something other than Inspector Spacetime."
"Alright, gruesome horror movie it is." Jeff grunts and gets up from the sofa, trying not to smile at the adorable way she gasps.
"Jeeeeeeeff," she groans, dragging his name out into multiple syllables like she always does.
"Relax, Annie, I was planning on watching Citizen Kane anyways." Jeff tells her, although neither of the two want to watch that movie they kind of have to because otherwise they're idiots according to... everyone. "It's been sitting on my shelf forever and I might as well get it over with."
"Maybe the salty snacks will get us through it." Annie remarks and grabs a handful of popcorn. The tension once thick in the air is gone now, and the two 'friends' think they can hang out without things getting to an odd place.
But c'mon, it's Jeff and Annie.
They sit and watch the movie for a while, sprawled across the same couch but keeping a safe distance from each other. They make a few jokes about their crippling boredom and they're not touching but there's a heat they can't ignore.
Then in the middle of the movie Jeff gets up to refill the big red bowl. When he gets back Annie can't help but notice that he's moved closer to her and Jeff is trying hard to convince himself that it wasn't on purpose.
The movie gets duller and duller and soon the two are dozing off, fighting to stay awake by shoving handfuls of popcorn into their mouths but it's just so boring.
Annie's the first to drift off. She unknowingly ends up with her head buried into Jeff's neck and he's debating on moving from his spot but she just looks so peaceful. So he moves his arm around her and pulls her closer. She moans a little in her sleep and he tries not to stare at her.
Also, her hot breath on his neck is oddly comforting in a totally platonic way.
Then, when he can't take it anymore, Jeff drifts off and his head is on hers and if anyone were to walk in they'd marvel at them and say 'What an adorable couple'...
but they're just friends.
The movie ends and the main menu is playing on a loop but they just sit there in a deep sleep until Annie wakes up sometime around 3 am. It's very dark.
She needs to go to the bathroom, but when her eyes flutter open and Jeff Winger is there holding on to her and his arm is around her. She just wants to take a picture of that moment.
But she also really needs to go to the bathroom.
She gently pushes him off of her, almost completely off of the couch. But thankfully, he ends up in this awkward position where his head is on the armrest and his arm is slung over the cushions and he kind of looks like a zombie but Annie still stands there in the dark staring because... he's just so cute.
When she gets back from the bathroom she's surprised to see Jeff sat up on the couch with his hands held to his forehead. She walks over to where he is but it is dark so she trips on one of his too tight t-shirts. Then she's on the ground and embarrassed but Jeff jumps up from his spot to help her.
"Are you okay?" He asks her when they're both sat on the ground.
He's using that fatherly tone of voice and there's actual concern because it's Jeff and Annie and he'd never make fun of her if he was actually concerned.
She nods, placing a hand on her forehead where there is just a tiny bit of pain. But she's too full of pride to admit that.
"I thought you left." He says and he doesn't say it in a way that says 'I wish you left', more like 'I'm so glad that you stayed'.
But Annie convinces herself that she's only imagining that and Jeff convinces himself that he isn't thinking clearly and that's why he feels like that.
"I wouldn't leave in the middle of the night." She presses a hand to his bicep and she thinks it's way bigger than normal and all he thinks is her hand is on my arm. "I mean, I'm not one of your one night stands."
He chuckles at that one, hiding his surprise at her casual mention of sex. "Wait, you're telling me that we didn't sleep together?"
She groans and throws her head back. "You are disgusting."
He laughs and then his hand reaches out to tilt her chin up and it's weird and why is he doing that? He thinks that she'll be creeped out, ignore it like all their other 'moments' but she simply smiles and their eyes meet again and it's totally friendly.
"Did you want me to leave?" She asks after what seems like an eternity of silence.
He doesn't know what to say because it's Annie Edison but then all of a sudden he does. "No."
"Why?"
"Because…"
"Jeeeeeeeff,"
"Annie," he warns, although his hand is still on her chin and she doesn't want him to move it.
She sighs in defeat. She's not gonna get an answer out of him but that's okay for now. She's fine with sitting there on his floor in the dark at an ungodly hour.
"So, Citizen Kane was a bust." He jokes, finally moving his hand from her chin and she hates that but stops herself from admitting it.
"I was never gonna make it through that movie." She confesses, a bit relieved to be going back to their aimless banter. "Why did I even try?"
"Because you never give up on anything," he shoots back, a hint of annoyance in his voice directed more towards himself than her.
"Sometimes I wish I could give up without feeling like crap." She mutters.
"Don't wish that. I like you the way you are."
She smiles and he smiles back and the eye contact and the darkness is way too much for Annie and too little for Jeff so he gets up and holds out a hand to her.
"The couch isn't big enough for the both of us." He explains, sending sparks shooting up her spine until his next sentence. "You can take the bed, I'll stick around here."
She hides her disappointment when she gets up and heads towards his bedroom. As she sets her head down on the Egyptian cotton sheets he's always bragging out a lone tear streams down her face. Yes, he is almost twice her age and they're polar opposites but she wants him there beside her.
Eventually she drifts off but later in the night she feels an arm snake around her waist and Jeff's head is on her shoulder and they're in bed together like it's just something that they do.
"Jeff," she whispers. "You can't keep doing this."
"Doing what?" He asks, desperately hoping and praying that they can just drift off to sleep without questions because he's only there because the couch is too small. It's not like he couldn't sleep without her.
"You can't kiss me then not talk to me for a summer and smile at me the way you do and then tell me that we can't do this because-"
He peaks his head over and presses his lips to her's in an effort to shut her up and also because he really wants to. The kiss is a small one that leaves both of them yearning for more.
But it's okay for now.