Hi Everyone! First time fic-writer here. This is marked as complete for now, but if I get a positive response I'll continue! Thanks for reading!

How Cooler Should Have Ended

"I meant something like that"

Nick looked into her eyes. He wanted to remember the way her baby blues looked in post-kiss bliss before he went back to his room and she went back to her boyfriend. In a matter of moments there would be regret and sadness, but right now he wanted to memorize every inch of her. This moment would keep him alive while he continued to endure the pain of watching her love someone else. After one last look, he pulled away and without looking back made his way into his room.

Jess stood frozen in the spot he left her. She brought her hand to her lips and tried to process what had just happened. Nick, her roommate and her friend, had just kissed her. Not only did he kiss her, he had given her the most passionate kiss of her entire life.

She had just said goodnight when she felt his hand grip her elbow. In those few seconds she wondered what he could possibly want, but as he turned her around and she saw the darkness in his eyes she realized it was finally happening. Nick Miller finally had the balls to grab her and kiss her. And kiss her, he did. His lips frantically searched hers for reciprocation, and she complied. She pulled him closer and tried to feel as much of him as possible. She felt his arms holding her, strong. His firm lips igniting a fire in her heart that she had only felt glimpses of in the past.

Now she was standing in the hallway. She didn't know how long it had been that she stood there, her hand touching her swollen, red lips in shock. She was conflicted. Sam, her BOYFRIEND, was in her bedroom, only a few feet away. Yet she couldn't keep her mind out of the room directly in front of her with the man who just made her knees turn to jelly. She didn't know exactly how she felt about the man with the magical lips, all she knew was that she desperately wanted more.

The realization made her heart break a little. How could she become a cheater? Having been on the wrong end of adultery before, she knew she had to end it with Sam because it was completely unfair of her to string him along when she was painfully aware that her heart belonged to her grumpy but charming roommate.

She let her hand drop from her mouth and her eyes narrowed with her new resolve. She turned on her heels and marched back into her bedroom.

Nick sat on the edge of his bed, his hands running through his hair. Kissing Jess was a completely rash and impulsive decision. Or was it? Hadn't he imagined it hundreds of times since she moved in? Didn't he desperately want to tear the dresses off her tiny frame every time she bounced around in them in their loft? They had both admitted to their attraction to each other before, but he had never imagined he'd have the gall to put those feelings into action. It was rash. It was maybe even a little alcohol-induced but at the same time it was definitely preconceived.

His rapid-paced thoughts were quickly silenced by the commotion coming from the hallway. The same hallway where he had kissed Jess only moments earlier.

"Sam, wait..." he heard her voice call out from the hallway.

He then heard a door slam, followed by a small whimper and a thud. He knew it wasn't his place, and he had a feeling he had something to do with the exchange that just took place outside his bedroom door, but he desperately wanted to know what had just happened.

He tentatively approached his doorway. As he approached the sounds of sniffles started to grow louder. He opened his door slowly and found Jess crumpled into a ball on the hallway floor quietly crying to herself. She must have been deep in thought because she didn't notice him approach.

Without thinking, he lowered himself to her side, resting a hand on her back.

"Jess..."

She jumped a little at the sudden contact. She hadn't realized he was there and had seen her crying. She quickly wiped her nose and eyes off with her sleeve and turned to him.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Sam left. I told him about what just happened between us, and he left."

She deliberately left out the part where she told Sam about the feelings the kiss had awoken in her. How the kiss had made her realize what she was never willing to admit to herself before. That she had been harboring feelings for Nick since she had first moved into the apartment. That she had been desperately trying to convince herself that it was just hormones, and there was nothing there but attraction. But once their lips and worlds simultaneously collided, she knew all those things her told herself were just lies. She was falling for her roommate. She had fallen for Nick.

"Jess, I am so sorry. This is my fault isn't it? I kissed you, and your boyfriend left you and now you're here crying and it's all my fault. I'm SO-"
Jess stopped him before he could apologize to her again by pressing her lips against his. It was different than their first kiss. It was soft and tender, her lips just barely grazing his. She put her hand on the nape of his neck and gently licked the outer edges of his lips. She felt him take a large intake of breath at this action and she pulled away to see his reaction.

It was a look he had never seen her give before. At least not with him on the receiving end. Her eyes still read with lingering sadness, but the overwhelming emotion that poured out of them...looked like love. He couldn't be one hundred percent sure, but he knew he was giving her those same eyes back and he saw a small smile break on her lips for the first time since the kiss. He couldn't help but return her infectious smile as it turned into a grin. He pushed himself off the ground and reached a hand out to Jess.

She knew he was just helping her off the ground, but there was something else in his eyes she couldn't quite read. It seemed like his hand was offering more than just help. It was offering the promise of more. She felt like her grin was spilling off her face as she reached up to grab his hand. He lifted her off the ground and she jumped into his arms and wrapped her own around his neck. He seemed to be surprised at the physical contact at first, but he relaxed around her and looked down into her eyes. Her brain was screaming at him to kiss her again, but he just kept looking at her like he was waiting for an affirmation that yes, she was ok with this and yes, she wanted him to kiss her again.

Jess rolled her eyes at his hesitation, and pulled him down to her again. Their lips met softly at first but as they both realized the reciprocation of the other, the force behind their lips became heated. Their hands searched and grabbed and caressed. Their tongues massaged. Their breaths became one.

Nick stumbled back using one hand as a guide leading them into his room and he kicked the door closed behind them. Slowly, without letting his lips leave hers, he led them to his bed. As they inched backwards and made collision with the bed, she fell backwards and he fell on top of her. She squealed and he scoffed and they both giggled at their awkwardness.

He lifted off of her just enough and she wrapped her legs around his waist and he dug his fingers into her hips. Their hands became more frantic, their lips pushing and pulling at each other. He grabbed her hips and felt the muscles in her abdomen contracting as she grinded against him. A small gasp escaped her lips and it sent a bolt of electricity right to his groin. He growled at the feeling and gently nibbled at her lip. More sighs of pleasure made their way to her lips and he couldn't take it anymore.

He reached down and pulled at the knot keeping her robe together forcing it open. He pulled away from their embrace and looked down at her, taking in every inch. A light blush started to form on her cheeks so he felt it was necessary to let her know not to be embarrassed.

"You are so beautiful, Jess" he said, lowering his head down to place gentle kisses all over her now exposed body.

Jess felt herself blushing a deeper red as he called her beautiful. She couldn't believe only a few hours ago they were nothing more than platonic friends and now she was going to sleep with him. She was going to have sex with Nicholas Miller.

Hey guys! This is my first ever fanfic. Let me know if you think it was great/sucked/what I should work on and most of all if I should continue. Please review :)