Hi! I would just like to say thanks you to Wonderstruck-ambition for sprucing up this one-shot. It means a lot.

Disclaimer: well I used to own Kickin' it, but, it became a burden. I couldn't run and own Kickin' it while maintaining a B average. So alas here I am.

Enjoy! :)

Denial

Denial ain't just a river in Egypt! Kim sat on the couch and flipped to a random channel on the TV. It looked interesting enough so she left it.

She broke her gaze from the show, which had just paused for a commercial break, to rest her eyes on her best friend Jack, coming back from the kitchen where he was previously making a snack. To Kim's delight he had made popcorn.

Jack took a seat next to Kim, placing the bowl of popcorn on his other side. "Well, can I have some popcorn?", Kim asked with a ring of sarcasm.

"Nah" Jack responded with a smirk threatening to make an appearance on his face.

"Why not?" Kim whined like a little girl who was just told she couldn't have a pony for Christmas.

" 'Cause," Jack offered as his excuse. Kim didn't think this as a valid reason, so she made an executive decision. If he wasn't going to give her the popcorn willingly she would forcefully have to take it.

All with only a second of planning Kim had managed to crawl across Jack's lap, the popcorn within her reach, but, Jack started to tickle her relentlessly. She fell over and arched her back in laughter. She demanded he stop through gulping breaths, but she was laughing too hard for it to sound at all intimidating. He complied to her wishes after she had had enough and she sat up, wiping tears away with her sleeve, still laughing. Jack soon joined in.

Kim adapted from her current position-sprawled across the couch- and instead sat comfortably in Jack's lap. She munched on the popcorn and waited patiently for the commercials to end.

It didn't take long before the show popped back onto the screen. The scene they were living was not unlike the the scene they were watching unfold on the television. Both incorporated two teen best friends of opposite gender who clearly had feelings towards each other, but, were in to much denial to even admit it to themselves. Good luck trying to get them to admit it to anyone else.

Kim leaned her head back on Jack's shoulder while he wrapped his arms around her waist. His hands were preoccupied; they gripped each other around Kim's waist, to keep her from slipping off his lap. So, to keep him happy, Kim would pop a handful of popcorn in his mouth from time to time.

"They so like each other! I mean look", Jack exclaimed nodding towards the TV, "they're cuddling and giggling!", he commented. " I know! And they're giving each other little snacks by hand... So oblivious." Kim agreed, filling Jack's mouth with popcorn again. Jack chuckled at her response. Kim, letting out a laugh herself, trained her eyes on the screen. She couldn't help but note all the similarities between them and the best friends they were watching. She compared their friendships with each other. 'We're very similar', she thought, 'but we don't flirt like that'. So with that, she decided to just brush off the feeling that she was watching herself and Jack in another life.

"They remind me of us a little", Jack said easily.

'what does he mean by that!', she thought frantically. 'We don't flirt like that... Do we? No. No. And Jack doesnt like me whereas that guys totally likes that girl! He doesnt like me... Right?...'

"How so?" she asked causually trying, and failing, not to freak out.

Jack gave a cocky smile and replied jokingly," Well for starters, that guy is pretty dang good lookin' and secondly that girl is such a klutz!" Kim gave him a playful push, all tension lost.

"Jerk," she smiled.

"Am I wrong?", Jack questioned, and a full smirk spread wide across his face. He cupped his ear waiting for a response but none came. As much as Kim hated to admit it, she was pretty clumsy, and also on the list of things-Kim-would-not-admit-to was that if all else fails, Jack would have at least one thing going for him... his looks.

She glared at Jack then slowly turned toward the TV pretending to be upset for as long as she could before cracking and being sent into a state of giggles that only Jack could bring. But, as their laughter died down, she realized she no longer looked at the screen of the TV. She could barely hear it. All she saw, heard, and smelled was Jack. His breath erratic from all the laughing, his scent of vanilla and mint intoxicating. His eyes were like pools of melted chocolate, beautiful, and Kim melted into them. Mesmerized.

Kim, taking no notice of their close proximities, started to lean in. As if Jack's gaze were pulling her closer and she couldn't help it. Kim, closely followed by Jack, slowly flapped their eyes shut. Jack's hold on Kim loosened due to the fact that his mind was else where. Two inches. That's all that was betwe...- Ok one inch. And the gap slowly closing. Their lips 5 centimeters from...-

"MATTRESS FIRM! We have the best deals around! So don't miss our once in a-" Kim didn't hear the rest. After that very rude interruption, or so Kim thought, they sprung apart and she fell backwards off the couch and hit the floor.

'When had the show gone to commercial?' she thought. Kim grudgingly propped herself into a sitting position and took Jack's offered hand. Jack hadn't estimated Kim's weight and ended up pulling too hard. Kim practically flew into Jack's arms.

Jack looked down into her eyes almost capturing them again but Kim looked away before he had the chance. Kim started to run around the room, avoiding Jack's eyes, folding a blanket left on the floor just so she had a reason to be busy. She made her way over to the couch where the popcorn had spilled, picking it up and tossing the little pieces into the bowl they were in to begin with, muttering things from "I'm sorry," to "I should really vacuum," to "where is the vacuum," and "stupid mattress man."

Jack was still in a daze about what just happened. Or more like what just almost happened. Had he really just almost kissed Kim? Had he really just wanted to? He looked up to find Kim halfway done with cleaning up the popcorn that had spilled when...you know...and muttering.

" Kim", he called. "Kim", a little louder, but, she didn't seem to hear him. " KIM!" he yelled.

She then looked up. "What!", she yelled back. She looked tempted to start a mutter of a different origin but refrained.

"Why were you muttering?", Jack sounded like a mix between confusion, embarrassment, and hilarity.

Kim became self-conscious all of the sudden. "I mutter. So what?", she defended. "Don't you mutter? Surely I'm not the only one who mutt...-"

"Kim?", Jack spoke her name yet again, but, softer this time.

"Yeah?" Kim felt a bit embarrassed, but, Jack just looked at her and smiled. He took a few steps her way, and with a chuckle said,"shut up".

Then he pulled at her waist and their lips collided with each other, moving in sync. Her arms wrapped around his neck pulling him closer. His arms unwrapped so that only his hands lingered. They ran up to the small of her back and down to rest on her waist above her hips. Air was becoming a problem and they both recognized the need was strong, but, neither were willing or able to pull back first. They tried to show all of their feelings that they had denied for so long through the kiss. Afraid they wouldn't get another chance. But it didn't matter how much they felt for each other... 'Cause they couldn't feel anything if their were dead! So they broke apart. Just far enough to breath. Their lips left with a tingling sensation, brushing against one another every once in a while. Each time sending a jolt of electricity through them. Yeah, they were that close. After regaining their breathing Jack was the first to speak.

"So...what do you s'pose would happen if those two...I don't know...kissed." he pondered with a smirk and a slight gesture toward the TV.

Kim thought about it. Although she already had an answer in mind. "I s'pose they would get together. The girl is totally in love with him. If he kissed her she would be the happiest girl on earth. And would probably want to kiss him again.", she said with a wink.

"Is that right?", Jack questioned mischievously with a lopsided grin that made Kim's heart melt. "Well I, personally, think that they should be together. I mean they want each other so bad but they don't want to risk their friendship. It's sad really. They just need to take a risk but they're just in so much...-" Jack didn't get to finish his heart felt speech because a pair of soft lips met his, successfully cutting him off.

But, in all honesty he didn't mind one bit. He made a quick mental note to go rambling more often. Kim's kiss surprised him of course, but, was welcomed for he immediately kissed back. A shiver ran down the backs of both teens only to travel back up and to their connected lips making them deepen the kiss. Jack broke for air only to place soft strategic kisses all around her face ending in a small peck on the lips. "denial", Jack completed his speech while resting his forehead to hers. They were both grinning like idiots but they didn't care.

"I think they love each other", Kim offered. Almost nervous. She clearly knew her feelings toward him were strong, but, she didn't know whether he liked or loved her. To Kim, it made all the difference in the world.

"I know they do", Jack settled. Then he captured her lips once more, but, this time it was different. Instead of passion and intensity, Kim felt safe, warm, and loved. It felt wonderful.

So... what'd ya think?

Please review ! Hopefully I will soon be done with another story. It's a 3 maybe 4-shot. Not sure yet.

Love,

GMI