AN: This just sort of wrote itself... set in season 3.

--

She calls his answering machine just to hear his voice, even if it's the same words over and over again.

"Hi, you've reached Jim Halpert. I'm not here to get your call, but if you leave a message, I'll get back to you as soon as I -"

She tunes out the message and snuggles deeper inside her covers. The clock on her bedside table reads 2:43 AM and she's wide awake.

She dials again and hears his familiar voice. The warm, gentle, rich voice that smothers her skin in velvet every time the sound passes through her ears. She can't help but love him with every bit of her she has. She would build him a castle of daffodils if it meant they could live together in peace, amongst the flowers.

Or, that's the fantasy she always had.

"If you'd like to make a call, please hang up and try again. If you need help, hang up and then dial your operator."

She ignores the dial tone and lets the phone slip out of her loose hand and clack onto the floor. A tear escapes her eye, but she doesn't feel pain. More of a dull numbing that doesn't go away. Ever.

Not when he broke her heart the first time.

Not when he moved to Stamford, leaving her with a box of memories like an old board game she could save for rainy days.

Not when he came back - a new girlfriend in tow.

Not when Roy went drinking with his friends and forgot about their Friday night movie night.

Not when the one thing she realized she ever wanted in her life was him.

Not now.

Not ever.

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AN: I feel like this could have a lot more to it, but I don't really want to add more, you know?