Rating: PG-13

Length: 744 words

Pairings: Britta/Jeff and Jeff/Britta

Timing/Spoilers: None that I can think of.

Disclaimer: Unless I want the period fairy to stop leaving me money, and I don't, I have to say that I own absolutely nothing.

It had taken them ten minutes. Ten minutes from when she knocked on his door at midnight to when he had his hand up her shirt. Besides them on his black leather couch, on his oak coffee table, was their almost full mugs with moderately expensive wine.

Minute one: "Oh hey", she muttered softly, her hand running through her hair in apprehension. "Hey", he said to her. "Ah, come in come in."

Minute two: "Wine?" he asked her as he searched for wine glasses in his cabinet.

Minute three: "New curtains? They're very nice", she said in a formal, grand tone, looking at the curtains as she casually placed her chin on her hand. "Yeah", he handed her a mug of wine.

Minute four: Silence.

Minute five: "Um...uh...ah"...

Minute six: "So"...Britta placed her mug on the coffee table..."have you seen pictures for the new Spiderman movie?"

Minute seven: ..."It's because you're a douche"...

Minute eight: ..."Of course you'd ruin all the fun out of it"...

Minute nine: "Abed would be having a field day with this, eh?" Britta asked him, with an awkward laugh. "Yeah", Jeff ineptly responded back his hand running through his hair.

Minute ten: "So...wanna do this?" he asked her coolly. She shrugged and responded, nonchalantly, "Sure."

When he woke up the next morning at six, in his bed, she was gone although he could still feel her warmth next to him. He sat up—his one hundred percent Egyptian cotton sheets covering his, ahem, area—and quickly ran his hands through his hair in annoyance. He slowly glanced over to his bedside table and saw a crumpled note scrawled in her handwriting, a first,

Last night was fun. Sorry, had to go, family affair. Britta.

He shook his head and frowned in frustration. "Well, it is understandable", he muttered to himself as he rested his head on his right arm. The last time, he had come over to her apartment and left before she woke up, so they were even now—although, he thought, he usually does have better reasons why he shows up late and leaves early. It had become sort of a weekly routine, for both of them, to relieve stress or boredom; they were used to each other now and it usually didn't take long for things to get started because Jeff was 'used to it' (meaning that 'he could get her off efficiently').

When he came back to his apartment later that night and had settled in to watch the Daily Show in his boxers, a light, urgent knock came at the door. He opened the door and saw her huddling under his hanger from the pouring, hard rain, shivering like a wet cat in a tan leather jacket. "Are you going to stare at me like an idiot or let me in?" she asked cruelly.

"Oh, excuse me", he moved aside to let her in, "I guess cats aren't the only ones that get nasty from water."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry", she faltered out as she sat down on the couch, her shaking hand smoothing down her golden locks, "Today was not a good day."

"Well", he started, sitting down in his chair, "spending time with family can sometimes be tiring"; he lowered the volume on a Jon Stewart rant.

"For others maybe, but that axiom does not necessarily apply to my family", she muttered and he sighed. "A silently judging mother, two overachieving brothers with their families, and a preoccupied father", she shook her head in aggravation.

"Was there a sassy butler there too?" he asked lightly.

She gazed at him with pursed lips before smiling and mumbling, "Shut up."

"Britta"...Jeff said tenderly as he moved towards her, "if you want me to I'll go with you the next time."

Britta glanced up at Jeff and asked in a whisper, "Would you really do that?"

"Sure", he shrugged, "your mother gets reassurance, you get peace and quiet, and I get free food", he stood up and held his hand out to Britta, "Now, let's get you out of these soaking clothes."

They had spent so much time together that they could predict each other, so it came as a surprise for both of them when Jeff woke up to find Britta still next to him—and when Britta woke up to find herself still next to him. She shrugged and closed her eyes in contentment as Jeff's arm lightly tightened around her stomach.