Based on a prompt that crittab gave me for the Milady/Milord fic battle – albeit one she sent a few minutes after the deadline. So I turned it into a full length fic rather than a 400-800 word comment fic to make up for it.

With the group's summer largely obliterated by retaking biology – and going to war with the Chang dynasty and not having Troy around and all – they only had a week of rest before the fall semester and their last year at Greendale started. So they took advantage by organizing an end-of-summer day out to the local water park. Since it allowed Jeff to strut around with no shirt on and flattering swim trunks, it sounded pretty good to him.

It also let him get a good laugh at how Britta wore her usual shirt and jeans, even after everyone else changed into more revealing, comfortable swimsuits when they reached the park. "Really, Perry? Really?" Jeff asked, already planning 10 even better jokes in his head. And since Britta was obviously going to rant about something, he could focus on his own thoughts a lot easier.

"Hey, don't blame me for water park sexism! Water parks and beaches are boy's clubs that exist to make women get naked and look like strippers! And not even the empowered ones! Just because they have water and it's 90 degrees out doesn't mean I'm giving up my dignity!" Britta insisted, while clearly straining under wearing way too much in this heat.

"It's gotten along pretty great without you so far, I'm sure it'd manage," Jeff pointed out, while coming up with five more great Britta jokes in the meantime. But this was such a gold mine that he'd have to dole them out slowly to last the entire day.

"Laugh it up, Jeff. You might be fine with being some masturbatory fantasy around here. But I'd rather be a human being instead!" Britta insisted.

"You'll be more sweat than human by the end of the day, but yeah, I get the message," Jeff stated, deciding to save the really good stuff for later.

"Whatever, at least one of us is still more human than water park drone," Britta declared, turning around and waiting until her back was turned to wipe the sweat off her brow.

"The drone resistance and the jean industry appreciates your sacrifice, I'm sure!" Jeff called out. Well, maybe he could stand to use one of the better ones next time out.

"Oh God, did she call you a water park drone, too?" Jeff heard Annie ask behind him.

When he turned around, he forgot every single Britta joke he had come up with – and was certain he'd never remember them now. With Annie standing there in a pink two piece swimsuit and absolutely nothing else, he only had enough memory to remember his first name.

She was already distracting enough in the sun dress she came in here wearing. But now that Jeff knew this was underneath it….well, the words "masturbatory fantasy" were the only words he could remember from Britta's ranting now. This might not have been the best thing to think about at that moment.

"Jeff?" Annie interrupted him. Apparently she was still talking while Jeff was trying not to think about things. This was another big problem – but at least this one could be fixed without drastic measures.

"Sorry, I was going over all the Britta jokes I'll be using today. I mean, she's too distracting for me to pay attention to anything else. And not in the hot way, either." Only the second part was supposed to be a coded message to Annie. Maybe the third one was halfway as well. When Annie rolled her eyes, Jeff did get to add, "Hey, we're supposed to blame the water park cabal for stuff like that, remember?"

"Well, the 'water park cabal' didn't make Troy cry for covering itself up," Annie revealed. "But I'll be cleaning up that collateral damage enough when I get home. Let's go have fun with the other drones first!" The fact that she turned around and gave Jeff an all too perfect view of her halfway covered ass wiggling away – while hiding the sight of her halfway covered breasts jiggling away as well – was Not. Helping.

Neither was the sight of an all wet Annie getting out of the water after going down the slides. It wasn't helping the first time, and it didn't get any better after the fifth either. The fact that her hair was now all wet and down and even more teasing than usual was close to the final straw as well.

Jeff tried to distract himself by paying attention to Britta's most comical stand yet. He really did. But even the sight of an all wet, clearly uncomfortable but needlessly defiant Britta in a dark shirt and jeans wasn't funny enough. Neither were her rants whenever someone pointed at her attire every minute. And her stand against bikini clad, brainwashed women hardly helped distract him from the bikini clad, brainwashed woman he tried to forget about.

He even tried to craft a Winger speech to help Troy, who was still moping from having Britta all covered up and thought it might have something to do with him. But when Jeff saw Annie in some kind of kiddie pool playing with baby Ben, with her wet body glistening even more in the sunlight, words failed him again.

"Where's your Auntie Annie?" Jeff heard Annie coo adorably, before dipping her head below the water while still holding Ben up. Apparently she was playing some kind of peekaboo game, or something Jeff wasn't really paying attention to.

Yet his attention was held once Annie's head reemerged out of the water just like the Little Mermaid, with her hair and her face more drenched than ever and her smile bigger than ever. "There she is!" Jeff somehow heard Annie cheer while his blood was boiling. Once Annie repeated the pattern again, he just went into autopilot.

He rushed as discreetly as he could to the first bathroom he could see, then went in and locked himself into the first available stall. It was only then that he realized where he was, yet he remembered all too well what he was thinking about doing in here. What he really had to do before he could even think of looking at Annie again, really.

Even though looking at her after doing…..this might be way too awkward for Jeff, it was better than seeing her like that while he was still….all built up. Then Jeff would probably do things that would make the water park cabal ban him and everyone else for life. And that would be an awkward way to end this very short summer vacation. So taking care of business himself it was.

Maybe Britta did have a point about how water parks made women expose too much. Then again, none of the other women were doing this to Jeff – just Annie. It was always just Annie lately. And with that, thinking about Britta became far less useful.

Jeff tried to think of Annie in quick, dirty ways so he could get this over with faster. Yet somehow, putting her in generic fantasies didn't seem adequate enough. After all, he'd never seen her in that pink number before, so if she was trying something new, he should too.

God, he was even putting thought and care into pleasuring himself because of her. But the shame from that could be saved for afterwards, like always.

Jeff learned over the toilet and kept his hand in his pants while he worked, trying not to make any noise in case someone was in here. Then again, it wasn't like he noticed the hundreds of other people around Annie when he was in the park. But of course, those people didn't have pink two pieces, or bare body parts that were cruelly hidden at Greendale, or bare body parts that thankfully weren't hidden at Greendale.

Body parts that smiled extra special for him, lit up more wonderfully than usual when he did something right, and just couldn't stop teasing him underneath those cardigans. But today he could almost see it all. See it all coming out of that water, dripping oh so wetly, making that flawless pale skin shine even brighter….and probably make it feel even better pressed against his bare skin.

And the minute he found out for sure, he'd probably spend the rest of the day licking all that water off. Then he'd make her wet in other ways before drying her off. Make sure that every inch of her was attended to, in ways it'd never been before. Ways only he knew, and ways he wanted to teach to only her. Always her.

Once he started teaching her, he'd give her A's every day and want to tutor her non-stop – in this park, in her bed, in his bed, in Greendale, in the study room – everywhere. And she'd only wear that bikini when he did it. He might even let her keep wearing it when she was underneath him, all wet and wild and soft and creamy and sexy and Annie Annie Annie Annie….

"Jeff?"

Annie, Annie, Annie, Annie…..

"Jeff….?"

Wait.

"Annie?"

No, that couldn't be. She was underneath him all wet and wild in the study room…..which suddenly turned into a toilet stall for some reason.

"Jeff….that is you, isn't it?"

That sure sounded like Annie, but she wasn't in there with Jeff. He then looked down to see a pair of feet standing behind the stall. Feet with a very distinctive set of purple toenails….

This just went from super hot to super troubling very fast.

"Annie!" Jeff yelled before he could catch himself. But he did barely stop himself from falling and hitting his head on the toilet – and even remembered to get his hand out of his pants too.

"Jeff….w-what are you doing in the women's bathroom?" Okay, that came out of nowhere. But there could have been worse questions.

"Hold on, I should ask what you're doing in the men's bathroom, I think! And why would you bring a baby in there, anyway?" Jeff shot back while trying to get his gift of gab up and running again.

"I'm not in there! Shirley came back to get Ben and I went in the women's bathroom to pee! Then I heard someone grunting in the next stall and calling out my name over and over!" Jeff heard Annie say without breaking her voice. But it did break a bit when she continued, "Did….did you come here to…..touch yourself….over me? And you were so….worked up you ran into the wrong bathroom?"

Well, when Annie put it like that. But she did so more graphically than he thought she'd be comfortable with. That was kind of hot – which was one of many problems right now. "I….when you put it like that, I should go," was all that Jeff could muster.

"No, don't come out! How am I supposed to look at you right now after….this? It's just too….weird and too soon!" At least she used nice words for it.

"Okay, you leave, I'll go and stay 100 yards away at all times, happy?" Jeff said a bit less happily.

"No! How do I know you won't….finish up after I leave here? It's not like I can trust you to say if you did or didn't! So that's too weird too!" Annie shared.

"Well, weird seems to be all we got! What's the lesser of two weirds here?" Jeff rhetorically asked.

"How should I know? You're….doing stuff to yourself because of me, how am I supposed to feel? Now I've either gotta get you out or leave you alone to finish up! Or just go in there and help you finish up myself!" And there it was.

If Annie put it out there first, then it really wasn't Jeff's fault if he listened. Right?

And that would help make it less awkward the next time he saw her. Which would be in here, with her ready to….and Jeff finally left with no choice but to….

"That's what you want?" Jeff asked instead of saying "okay." But maybe making sure would clear both their consciences before -

"No….I don't know." That wasn't really the answer Jeff expected. Was it the one he hoped for? Maybe he needed a follow-up question to find out.

"Right, this isn't your kind of smut setting. I guess if it was in some place like the car or my apartment, it'd be different." Okay, that was kind of dangerous, but it still left him with wiggle room. He wasn't technically asking her to go there – just checking to see if cars and apartments were more ideal for hand jobs than bathroom. A legitimate question, really. And when she said yes –

"No."

Hold on there. She really said that again? To Jeff? When he was offering – thinking of offering – that? "I mean, I don't think so. Or I just don't know. I, I really don't know…."

"Wait, for real? Are you turning me down? And don't ask if I was really offering, answer me first!" Jeff preemptively struck. "You don't want…..that from me? Even outside here?" Now that wasn't supposed to make any sense at all. Not after all this time. I mean, she wanted him – that was the one and only constant thing from this whole mess! And it still was. It just…..still was.

"I said I don't know! I thought I knew it was no after the Dreamatorium," Annie said as the sad Disney voice was reemerging. But fortunately, Jeff was too confused to let that do things to him.

"Dreamatorium? I thought we were finally done with that mess! Okay, what did Troy and Abed do to you in there?" Jeff said, as his avenge Annie voice was reemerging.

"It was just Abed, and….it's a long story," Annie said with barely more clarity than before. "I thought I sorted it all out and I was moving forward, but, but…."

Jeff really had no idea what she was going on about, and maybe she didn't either. What he did start to understand was that he had really blown this. In too many ways to focus on counting right now. Yet he did focus when he heard Annie say, "Maybe I should go."

She was going to leave. And then she wouldn't be able to face him the rest of the day. Then she wouldn't be able to face him for the rest of the week. Then he'd be too awkward, guilty and ashamed to even think of going near her, and then they'd both be awkward around each other when they got back to Greendale too.

Then they'd spend the first several weeks of fall being awkward and confused, and be too awkward and confused to even be real friends. Again.

And when Jeff saw that happening, a bunch of phrases ran through his head. Like "No." "Not this time." and "Not this fall."

And then as he saw Annie's feet walk away, another phrase ran through his head. A phrase he actually said out loud. "I started searching for my father!"

Jeff couldn't even begin to know where that came from. But after a few seconds of failing to figure it out, he noticed that Annie's feet were visible behind the stall door again. This out of nowhere confession actually made her come back.

"You did what?" Annie asked. Despite how sad and confused Jeff somehow made her, she still came back to check on him. And that ended the illusion that he had a choice to keep going. So now that it was out of his hands, he kept going like he had to.

"After the biology final, I went on some websites to look for my father. I don't know why. Maybe that speech at court made me forget I shouldn't want to see that man again. But I tried anyway. I haven't tried since, but if I did it once, I'll probably do it again. And the more I try, the more likely it is that I'll find something. And….then who knows what kind of hell that'll bring. But I'm on the road to going there anyway. There's no getting around that now."

At the least, this finished the job in getting sex with Annie out of Jeff's mind. He finally sat down on the toilet seat and let himself dwell in these new, troubling thoughts for a while. Yet when he saw Annie's feet still standing behind the door, it somehow made it hurt less.

She was still here. Even after she found out what he was doing because of her, she was still here to listen.

"Why are you telling me this, Jeff?" he heard her wonder. "Just to make sure I didn't leave? Or was it the least arousing thing you could think of?" Although Annie sounded serious, Jeff still couldn't help but laugh a little. Those guesses weren't far off, but he couldn't say that. In fact, it was hard to figure out what the actual answer was.

Of all the things he could have told her, why did he go to that ultra personal, ultra private topic? It had nothing to do with her or them, and was a problem only he could deal with. Plus, Britta and Pierce proved that talking about his father with others was a big mistake. But then again….

And like that, he had his answer. "Because I've been thinking about how finding my father could go. I don't really like talking about it in any scenario. But in all the ones I've dreamed up so far….whenever it got too much for me to handle, you were the first person I talked to. Actually, in most of them, you were the only person I talked to."

"Me?" Annie asked quietly. Jeff knew her next question would be "Why?" so he tried to answer it first.

"Maybe it's because you're not Britta or Pierce, I don't know. But if that was it, I'd think about talking to Shirley too, or even Troy and Abed if I was desperate. But I didn't. It was just you because…." On that, Jeff froze up and ran out of theories. And yet at that moment, Annie spoke up with one of her own.

"Because I know what it's like. Because I know about having parents that abandoned me, cut me off and left a big hole in my heart for years, too. But I also know that despite that, there's a part of me that still wishes I could fix things with them. I've healed most of that hole already….but it doesn't feel like enough yet without facing them," Annie spoke too truthfully for Jeff to be fully comfortable.

"You feel that way about your dad too, and I think you knew I'd know that. That it'd make me understand it better than the others. That I wouldn't judge you, push you one way or the other, psychoanalyze you or manipulate you for it. I'd just try to be there for you."

Oh God, how did she do that? How did she know him like that – or know this stuff well before he figured it out himself?

But the fact was she did, which was why he usually thought of her as the first person to turn in a crisis. Or wish he had turned to when a crisis inevitably got out of hand. It was a vicious cycle, really. But he couldn't exactly say all that to her, so he settled for, "I'd have probably said that you can talk me down when I'm being a crazy jag. But that works too."

"Jeff…." Annie said, using half of her "I love butterflies" voice. Although it was only half, Jeff could still tell how flattered she was that he thought about her that way. As someone he could come to first with such an intense, personal problem. As someone he trusted that much to hear it and help him through it.

But of course he did. When they were on solid ground together, there was no one he trusted more. Didn't she see that by now? Yet then again, maybe too much weird, awkward stuff had happened to overshadow that.

"And that's why this was a mistake," Jeff heard himself saying out loud. Once again, he was saying something before he knew what he was talking about. However, once again it suddenly clicked for him a second later.

Which was just as well, since Annie asked "What was a mistake?" and he had to clarify before she got the wrong idea.

"No, no, telling you that wasn't a mistake! Doing what I was doing in here before you heard me….that was the mistake. If I finished up or you helped me finish up, we'd just feel too weird and awkward to share stuff like that. Or do anything else, for that matter," Jeff tried to clarify.

"Because that sort of stuff shouldn't happen between us. I know the drill by now, Jeff," Annie assumed.

The fact that she said that – and the fact she didn't sound that disappointed to say it, or to even protest afterwards – gave Jeff that way too familiar feeling of Annie-shaped guilt. She wasn't even trying to make him feel guilty that time. But what she said, what she seemed to be feeling – and how it was far different from Jeff's assumptions on how she still felt – was still doing things to him.

Not hot sexy things, just….things that made him really want to make her smile again.

And things that made him say, "Because when it happens, I want to do it right."

When. Not if. Not a denial that it ever would happen. When it happens.

Instead of backtracking from it, Jeff even continued on, now that he knew the larger point he wanted to make. "And it's because I don't want us to be in that….weird place we're in every fall."

"Every fall?" Annie repeated quietly."We've been in weird places in other seasons too, you know."

"But it's worse in fall," Jeff realized as he spoke. "The last two years, you and I haven't started the school year in….the best place. We can't start our last year like that too. Me jacking off to you would have done that, and that can't happen. Not with our last chance to get this right."

"Jeff, if you haven't realized we're all staying together after graduation by now…." Annie started.

"You don't know that we will! We didn't think we'd be expelled for two months either, and look what happened!" Jeff reminded, knowing that would get her thinking. While she did, he continued with, "Annie, we don't know what'll happen this year, either. The school might get shut down after Christmas, or the Dean might get replaced for real and no heist would get him back! For all we know, whatever magical force that's made us survive these last three years could be let go or something!"

Before Annie chided him for being too negative, Jeff backtracked a bit. "Anything good or really bad can happen before graduation! If we get there! But if you and me are uneasy and stuck like before….it'd be rotten no matter what. There's been too much of that already. It can't wreck our last year, too."

"Jeff…." Annie butterfly-voiced him. "It didn't really wreck last year, you know. We ended pretty good, didn't we? Better than we had in a while."

"And yet I still went into the ladies bathroom because of you. That should say I've got a long way to go. And I guess….you have a ways to go to sort out your feelings, too. More than I ever thought," Jeff reflected.

"I guess you could say that," Annie noted.

"Annie, we've both got a lot of things we have to get right this year. Both with ourselves and each other. And with stuff like my father, and your future after Greendale, not everything is going to be about us. But no matter what we're going through, even if it isn't about you and me….I know it'd be easier with us at our best together. Even if we're not….together. Yet."

Despite all this honesty pouring out of him, Jeff wasn't ready to let Annie question that "yet" yet, so he just kept going. "I don't want another fall or spring where our issues screw us up. I can't afford that, and you probably can't either. I guess what I'm leading to is….I want to be sure that no matter what happens, we can count on each other. Even if we fight or we don't make any progress for a while."

"Or even if you can't control yourself around me in a two piece," Annie actually joked.

"Yeah, or I can't deal with my daddy issues, that sort of thing," Jeff responded with a smile/smirk. "Or if we can't deal with…..whatever else we feel. But I still want us to have each other's backs no matter what. All the time this time. So you can do stuff like help me with my personal issues if I need it, and I can stop myself from doing things the wrong way with you. And we can get through whatever big changes and new dynamics Greendale has in store….and do it together in some way. I think…all that would be for the best."

Jeff made himself stop talking and get some of his breath back, hoping he had used it well so far. Yet Annie went a long way to assure him by stating, "I think so too, Jeff. Of course I think that, and of course I want that too. I'm just….surprised you admitted you want it."

"I kind of am, too," Jeff further admitted. "But it's still true. But there's still going to be steps forward and a few steps back for me. Pleasuring myself to you like this was a step back, for instance. Talking to you like this afterwards is balancing that out." Jeff further knew that when Annie giggled a bit, so he kept forward on that right track. "So I guess I'm asking if you can….be patient with me a little while longer this year. I have no right to ask you, but I'm taking a shot anyway."

"I'm glad you are, Jeff. I really am. It means….more than I can say right now," Annie admitted. "If you can be patient with me too, I guess it's worth a shot."

"All right, but three years is my limit, just know that going in." Jeff chuckled until he heard the sound of knuckles rapping against the stall door. "Did you swat the door like you usually swat my arm?" he asked bemusedly.

"I might have," Annie shyly answered.

"Well, they're both pretty hard, strong surfaces, so I guess I can't blame you." This time Annie just laughed with Jeff.

"Seriously, Jeff….you are taking some big steps, and not just today. I'm really proud of you – not that you have to do it to make me proud," Annie noted, although Jeff knew it was still a great side effect. "And I swear I won't tell anyone about you and your father, especially Britta or Pierce. You know you really can come to me, though – but I won't do that until you want me to. I promise," she stressed in her most serious, heartfelt tone. One that made Jeff feel….rather safe somehow.

"Well, I'm surprised the secret's not out already," Jeff realized. "Seriously. We're in a water park bathroom, with hundreds of people outside, and I think we've been the only ones in here the whole time. How the hell does that make sense?"

"Huh. I guess if our lives really are a movie, Abed's not directing this part," Annie analyzed.

"Well, as long as Pierce got replaced after that opening scene, it's still Oscar worthy anyway." Clearly, Jeff wasn't as good at comparing their lives to movies as Abed was.

Yet the main point was that he joked about the near pornographic start to this confrontation, and it didn't make things weird. This had actually gone from being another step back for him and Annie, to being something they could laugh about. As if things really were normal.

"Okay, then. I think my little problem isn't a problem anymore, so I'm ready to come out now. If you're ready to see me, that is," Jeff offered, hoping that Annie still wasn't too weirded out to see him in front of her.

"Open the door and we'll find out," Annie proposed. After a second, Jeff took her up on that offer.

Annie was still wearing her skimpy two piece, still had the same tantalizing skin exposed, was still a little wet, and he had just enjoyed himself to her 10 minutes ago. But seeing her now didn't make Jeff feel ashamed. Or make him hate himself like usual after he thought about her that way.

In fact, seeing her smile at him made him feel as funny as ever. Maybe even moreso because they had actually shared….something just now. Is this what Jeff missed out on by dismissing her all those times when they needed to talk?

Either way, the fact that Annie was smiling and was proud of him, despite what he just did because of her, made Jeff feel incredibly relieved. And thankful, for that matter. "Thank you," Jeff let out as a result.

Before Annie asked what for, and before Jeff could stop himself, he reached over and hugged her. Hugged her exposed, beautiful half naked form, let her hug him back, and felt her soft bare skin press up against his own. But he didn't get hard or out of control because of it. He just felt warm in other ways instead.

"Are you sure it's not a….problem for you to do that?" Annie asked, with her most fluttery voice since this conversation started. Interesting.

"Give it a few more seconds. Or on the other hand," Jeff left hanging as he broke away from Annie. "There, problem solved. Seriously, I don't know why you'd doubt my will power like that, Annie. Don't you have faith in me?"

"You'd think so, wouldn't you?" Annie responded, yet her tone said she really didn't want Jeff to take her so-called lack of faith seriously. After exchanging smiles over that, Annie got serious again and inquired, "So what now?"

"There are some cool slides I'd like to go on again before we leave. But the lines are probably way too long by now. Still, I bet they'd go by faster with some company," Jeff hinted pointedly at Annie.

"Oh. Well, that sounds like something I'd like to find out as well," Annie accepted.

Jeff nodded his own acceptance and then headed towards the door, before Annie rushed to catch him. "Jeff, shouldn't I go out first? I am the only one that's supposed to be here."

"Yeah, but I'd rather not walk behind you for too long. And that goes for the lines too. Just….so you know," Jeff figured he didn't really need to say that, considering what he was hinting at. But maybe this honesty kick could make that less of a problem as well.

Indeed, although he made sure not to see Annie's reaction as he left the bathroom, he swore he could feel her smirking, now that she knew more about….the effect she had on him. Still, since she'd be walking behind him the rest of the day, maybe it could go both ways. Then again, with him and his own sweet rear view, how could it not?

If it did have that effect on Annie, she didn't say. Yet with them standing in line together, making the long wait fly by with their chatter, and then riding the slides one by one, it probably didn't make a difference anyway. Even seeing Annie rise out of the water after going down the slides didn't affect Jeff like before. In fact, he even splashed her a little bit more afterwards, and let her splash him back without worrying too much about more chlorine in his hair.

That sort of thing was better than merely enjoying himself to her – even if he still wouldn't be caught dead admitting it out loud. Yet somehow, that made Jeff feel a little better about the obstacles – known and unknown, family and professional – that would start to lie ahead at Greendale next week.

Things would never be the same in some fashion after this year. But knowing that he had Annie in his corner, no matter what, and whether he needed her in every crisis or not, was more of a calming influence than ever. And that was a better way to think of her and them than he'd managed in the last two falls.

And maybe it could be even better by next fall, regardless of what crisis's, changes – and slightly less scary implications – laid ahead.

But that didn't stop him from finally finishing himself with her on his mind in bed that night. After all, she wasn't in her bedroom to make him feel awkward about doing that in there. Not yet.

Baby steps, Winger, he told himself. Baby steps.