Just a one shot! Set after 1x09: "The 23rd". I always get really inspired after watching a new episode. Oh one last thing! This one-shot is named after the Ray LaMontagne song, which was also a bit of inspiration during the writing process. Anyways, read on!

"If we're being completely honest, I'm a little bit relieved."

"Is that so?", Nick stated casually as he took a sip from his beer and continued to glanced at the television, while still directing his attention towards his obviously upset roommate. He'd being paying completely attention, but How the Grinch Stole Christmas was on and well...

Okay it's one of his favorite movies.

Jess simply nodded and wiped the tears off her face.

"I mean, now I don't have to worry about having hot sex with anyone or getting anyone gifts or Vienna.."

"Yeah that's a pretty big gift to get someone after only one month of dating. He should have gotten you perfume or something."

He pointed the beer bottle towards her offering her a swig. When there was no reaction from the other side of the couch, he turned his head to find that she had shoved her face into her knees in an attempt to hide her red blotchy face from him.

"I was being sarcastic, Nick."

Sighing, he reached for the remote and pressed pause. He should feel more guilty for everything that occurred tonight but he didn't. Yes, he did feel guilty for upsetting her and to a certain extent causing the break-up. But if it was his turn to be completely honest, he was glad that Paul was out of her life.

Oh, and he wasn't being sarcastic.

"Jess, listen. Weren't you the only that told me that I deserved more than hot meaningless sex with random girls? If you didn't love him, than I'm sorry to say this, but you were pretty much doing exactly what you warned me not to do."

"But he didn't even give me a chance to explore my feelings. He just cut me off as soon as he heard that I didn't want to elope to Vienna with him after only one month. I could have loved him, but he didn't let me. I could have been the love of his life! Mrs. Paul Genzlinger."

Attempting to hold back any laughter,

"You're totally overreacting right now. You keep forgetting that you only dated him for a month. Anyways, maybe he just knew what he wanted? I don't know, I never understood the guy."

"You never even liked him. I didn't expect you to ever understand him. That's why I tried to keep him away from you all the time."

"What makes you think I didn't like him?"

"Uh okay, other than how you acted around him or how you spoke to him, how about the fact that you told Winston you didn't?"

"He snitched."

Nick closed his eyes and grabbed the bridge of his nose.

He'd have to have a talk with Winston about keeping his mouth shut.

Jess rose from the couch and angrily wiped her tears.

"Well, I hope you're happy. He's gone and I'm alone again. I'm a dorky teacher whose going to end up living with a bunch of cats, never going to Vienna, and he's going to end up marrying some bimbo who makes him throw away the heart plush and who accepts his love."

"God, Jess please don't start. Just sit down and finish watching the movie with me. It's Christmas and I'm starting to feel the effects of the alcohol, so I'm in no mood to argue with you. Don't be a Grinch. "

Placing the bottle down on the table, he grabbed her hands and looked into her eyes. He'd never tell her this, but her eyes were his favorite shade of blue. It was the same blue that his little league jersey had been as a kid. Both his nana and his mom had the same bright blue eyes, so staring into Jess's eyes always made him nostalgic.

Not to mention, it's Christmas.

Nostalgia runs this holiday into the ground.

He must have noticed the strange faces she was making, cause he quickly let go of her hands.

Nick was being nicer than usual and it was little unsettling. Over the last couple months, she had gotten used to the grumpy yelling Nick that whenever a lot of softness revealed itself, she found herself shying away from it.

It's not that she didn't like that caring side of him, she just wasn't used to it.

It rarely revealed itself, so it wasn't like it was going to be a big problem.

She would simply find a way to nurture that side of Nick, while also desensitizing herself.

Most of the time, Nick kept to himself anyways.

He went to work or he watched television.

He practiced basketball or he surfed the net.

But he wasn't dull in the least.

In fact, he was one of the most interesting people she had ever met.

He never revealed too much and he wasn't easy to read, so that made Jess even more nervous.

Which in turn, made Nick all the more interesting.

She sat back down and suddenly tears started to fall again.

"I feel so hurt and I don't know why. I didn't even love him so why am I being such a loser about this?"

His rough hands wiped her tears away very gently.

"It's because it just happened three hours ago. Give yourself time and you'll feel better eventually and if you don't? I'll kick his ass for hurting you like this."

"I should kick your ass for tell him that I didn't love him in the first place."

He held her against his chest as she cried the rest of the night.

Sobs filled the living room as she let out months of tension that had been slowly building up.

Frustration over things that he probably wasn't even aware of.

He wasn't about to lecture her or tell her to toughen up.

If anything, she really needed this from him.

So he would continue to hold her and run his hands through her hair.

But only if she let him do so.

He might be really bad with words, but as a man of actions?

He knew exactly what to do.

As Jess woke up the next morning, she found a note on the floor that had been slid through the bottom of the door.

"Good for whenever you need to let your anger or sadness out. Hell, I'll even accept some of that nerdy weird sex."

Suddenly, Jess's face was red all over again.