A/N: Set at a fictional time in mid-Season 1 where Schmidt is with Cece, Winston's with Shelby, but Julia and Russell just don't exist. My story, my rules.

"This is lame!" Jess shouted. And she kicked her feet against the arm of the couch in protest. Nick looked over at her from his position on the opposing couch. He sighed, and put down the magazine that he had been reading.

"What's lame?" he said.

"It's Friday night!" Jess exclaimed, sitting up on the couch. "We should be doing something!"

"What do you want to do?"

"I don't know," she said. "But I'm bored and I'm going stir crazy just sitting in the apartment. God, where's Schmidt when you need a crazy idea?"

"With Cece," Nick said flatly. Schmidt was always with Cece now.

"And … Winston's with Shelby?" Jess ventured.

"That would be correct," Nick said. Winston was always with Shelby now. Always. Nick had a hard time blaming either of them for their absence. He could see the change in their behavior. The way they talked, the things they did. Last week, Winston bought Greek yoghurt to "keep it healthy, man." Schmidt cancelled his subscription to CEO"s Naughtiest because who needed erotic corporate ventures when you experienced M-Rated Bollywood freelance on a nightly basis? They had carved space out of their lives for Cece and Shelby. They were in love. That was what people in love did. They were together all the time.

It also meant that he and Jess were alone a lot of the time.

"This sucks!" Jess said. "It's like we never go out anymore."

"Do you want to go out?" Nick said.

"Kind of," Jess said uncertainly. She shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe we could go to the bar?"

"On a busy Friday night," Nick said, "I'm kind of worried that they would make me work."

"Right," Jess said. And she had that disappointed look in her eyes that made them big and downcast. Nick didn't know why, but everything in him just hated that expression. It didn't look good on Jess. Disappointment should be for other people.

"But I have an idea," Nick said, getting up from the couch. "Don't move. Give me a moment."

"I thought you didn't want to bartend tonight," Jess giggled. They were sitting on the floor in the living room with the coffee table between them. On the table Nick had eleven shot glasses aligned in two rows – five facing Jess and six facing Nick. It was midnight and the sky outside was very black. They had only the living room lamp on, per Schmidt's newly-developed Reduce-the-Electricity-Bill plan. The room was an orange glow.

"I said I didn't want to work tonight," Nick corrected. "But this – this isn't work."

"And what is this exactly?" Jess said looking at the shot glasses. Each was filled with a differently coloured liquid.

"These are shots," Nick said. "A creative and girly assembly that I made just for you."

"Colour me flattered."

"They're all tequila-based," he said. "I don't want to mix liquors and get you sick."

"Why do you have six and I only have five?"

"Because I'm a man, Jess."

"I see," she said.

"And you're … petite," he said. Jess smiled slightly. An ironic twitch in the corner of her mouth. But she was petite, wasn't she? Nick thought. It was amazing how small Jess was. How tiny her waist was, and how thin her legs were.

"So what are they?" Jess said. She picked up the pink one. "This looks cute."

"That's a Thorny Mexican," Nick said.

Jess looked at him blankly.

Nick laughed. "I have no idea why it's called that, to be clear. It's tequila and strawberry cream. The green one is Sublime, which is lime jello and tequila. The orange one is John's Bomb, which is orange and cinnamon. The yellow one is Midwest Stop Light – sour apple and cinnamon. And the last one is. Well, it's kind of inappropriately titled. It's called Festive Fuck, and it's butterscotch, melon and grenadine."

"And your sixth manly shot?" Jess said. "Raging Bull? Man of Steel? Iron Will?"

"No Regrets," Nick said. He laughed as she did. He felt something warm curl in his stomach.

"It has Bailey's in it," he said.

Jess smiled. "When I think of an alcoholic powerhouse, I think of cream-based liqueur."

"You shouldn't mock me, Jess," Nick said very seriously. "Never mock the man that's going to get you drunk."

"There's no point in playing a Truth or Dare drinking game," Jess said. "I know everything about you. It would be boring."

"You know everything about me? Really?"

"Or I could guess," Jess said. She folded her legs in front of her and gave him a lazy arrogant smile. "You're very predictable, Miller."

"Am I?"

"You are."

"And what do you think you are?" Nick asked with a grin. "A surprise at every corner? A Lost season finale?"

"I'm not as predictable."

"Okay," Nick said. "How about this. You ask me questions. I'll ask you questions. For every answer that you or I get wrong, take a shot."

Jess looked at him with flashing blue eyes. And she smiled. A deep red-lipped smile. Nick felt his nerves tingle reflexively.

"I'm going to get you drunk, Miller," she said.

"Not before I get you drunk, Day."

"What was my first job?" Nick asked.

Jess was leaning against the foot of the couch with her legs stretched out in front of her. She wore a blue skirt and her legs were bare. Her feet were right next to his hands on the floor. He resisted tickling them. Although why he wanted to tickle Jess's feet was somewhat of a mystery. Nick moved his eyes from her legs to her face.

Jess looked exasperated at him. "Nick, there are like a million possibilities for what your first job could be. How am I supposed to know that?"

"I thought I was just so predictable."

"But still!"

"Okay, you can just guess a broad category if you want," he said. She looked up at him smiling. He shrugged amicably. "I'll give it to you if you're close."

"Hm," Jess said. She leaned back and looked at him. Really looked at him. Like the answer was written in his eyes. She has totally great eyes. "You worked in the food industry … I'm seeing a really colorful apron and ice cream scooper in your past."

Nick laughed.

"Wrong," he said.

"Okay. Then what were you?"

"I was a dog walker," he said. He looked at her seriously. "I walked the dogs of the ladies in the neighbourhood who were too old to take their dogs on long walks."

"You didn't."

"I really did."

"You walked old ladies' dogs."

"Poodles, mostly. And the tiny little yappy dogs that you can do weird things with their hair."

"Oh my god."

Jess was laughing, hard. And Nick felt contentment rush into him.

"You should drink that strawberry shot," he said, putting it in front of her. "And remember that it represents how much of a mystery I still am."

The alcohol had set in. Nick could feel it humming in his brain, forming hazy clouds over his eyes that made Jess's face look perfect and the summer air feel amazingly warm. Invincibly perfect. She was saying something, and he was laughing. Her hand touched his arm. His body tingled. The orange glow from the lamp washed all around the room and Nick sighed in a deep happiness. Hanging out with just Jess was great. Maybe it was okay that Winston and Schmidt were gone so much. Jess was a great friend.

"Okay, I've thought of a question," Jess said. She leaned forward, her hair spilling over her bare shoulders. When had she taken her sweater off? Nick suddenly noticed her naked arms. Her tank top looked soft. He resisted the urge to feel the hem with his fingers.

"What is it?" he said.

They sat on the floor of the living room directly in front of each other. Their knees were almost touching. The shot glasses were on the coffee table next to them. Like they were staring each other down. Like it was some weird kind of duel.

"What age did I lose my virginity?" she said, smiling.

The room felt warm, Nick thought. He looked at her. At the dark thick bangs, and the hair that hung everywhere around her. And her creamy skin that looked orange in the light, and the big blue eyes and her tiny waist and her thin bare legs. Jess was beautiful, wasn't she? His brain was garbled. And nothing was making sense. Jess was cute. But she was beautiful, wasn't she? When had she started having sex?

"Uhh," he said. Jess was smiling. Her smile was all around him. In his eyes. In his brain.

"I'm, uh, going to going with the national statistical average," Nick said slowly, "and guess 16."

"Wrong," Jess said. "Drink up. Shot five."

"Well, when did you start then?" he asked. Nick felt curiosity prick him, like a million dull points on the back of his neck. That were goosebumps. He took the fifth shot in his hand. And he looked back at the table. Jess had one shot left, meaning that she was four in. He was about to be five. She would win, he realized. Even though he still had the sixth. It had to be first to five.

Jess looked over at the table, with the same understanding dawning upon her face. That beautiful face. She smirked at him. "Looks like I know you a little better than you know me, Miller."

"When did you lose your virginity?"

"I don't know if I want to tell you."

"I'm not going to drink this, and you're not going to win, until you tell me," he said. His voice sounded deep to him. In his brain. In his foggy clouded brain. He felt suddenly apprehensive, for no reason.

"Why do you want to know?"

"You asked," he said. He held the shot glass in his hand. He stirred it agitatedly in his fingers. What was wrong with him? He looked at her and she was looking back at him. With big blue eyes. And a smile that seemed to him like she thought he was endearing. Something in his stomach constricted, pleasantly. Warmly.

"I lost my virginity at 22," she said.

"Really?"

He sounded shocked. How had she fended men off that body for so long?

"Yes, really," she said, a little bit agitated. He felt suddenly bad. "Things just didn't work out with guys in college and I wanted things a certain way and … Well the stars just didn't align. So it took a while."

"But the stars did align eventually?" he said. Why did he care? Would he ask Winston this? Not that he needed to. "Was it what you wanted it to be?"

Jess seemed to consider his question carefully. She looked to the corner of the room. Thoughtful.

"It wasn't," she said slowly. "But it was good."

What was this feeling? He thought. What was this hot agitated feeling moving through his limbs? Hitting his chest hard. Jealousy made no sense. He didn't even know Jess at 22. He certainly didn't care if sex was good for her.

Nick downed the shot. And slammed the shot glass against the table.

"I think I see Orion's Belt," she said.

"Jess, you're looking at the ceiling."

Nick and Jess lay with their backs flat against the living room floor, staring up at the white plastered ceiling. It was popcorn textured – studded with protruding white dots. Like a huge plaster canvas.

"I can definitely see The Big Dipper," she said.

Nick laughed. Their arms touched. He tried not to notice.

The silence set in, thick and warm. But it wasn't comfortable, he thought. Nick felt the air gnawing and tugging at his skin. Say something, he thought. But what was he supposed to say? What did he want to say? His mind was fuzzy, and he was confused. He kept his arm rigidly at his side. His fingers felt tingly.

"Hey, Nick," Jess said. Nick turned his face from the ceiling, towards her. She was looking at him.

"Thanks for hanging out with me tonight," she said. And she smiled at him.

He smiled back.

"My pleasure, Jess," he said.

Her eyes. Blue. Lips pink. Smiling at him. And it rushed into him, quickly, suddenly, violently. He understood. This is attraction, his brain clarified. Finally. He was attracted to her. Jess was attractive.

His throat constricted. He felt hot.

"Jess, can I ask you something?" he said, slowly. Looking at her. Who was this creature in front of him? He wanted to touch his lips to her skin. That was crazy, wasn't it.

"Yes," she whispered. From the floor, next to him. Her entire body turned towards him. Feet pointing at him.

Keep your eyes on her face.

"Are you happy?" he asked. "Right now? Are you happy?"

There was silence. She looked at him, very thoughtfully. There was no expression on her face. At first. A blank porcelain slate.

She nodded. And a smile came onto her lips.

"I am," she said softly.

"What was your hesitation?" Nick said quickly. Body and mind buzzing. Looking into her face intently. Every micro-expression. Every breath.

Jess laughed, and looked around awkwardly. "It's not a big deal, really."

"What?" Nick said. "Come on."

"It's embarrassing."

"Please tell me."

She sighed, and smiled. Rolled her eyes in a pink embarrassment that invaded her cheeks. "Well it's just … I am happy. I love my life right now. I love living here with you guys and I love teaching. And I don't even really feel like I want to be in a relationship right now. I'm okay taking a break. But …"

"But," Nick said.

But. What a funny word.

"But it's been … a while …" she said. Meaningfully.

He looked at her. At the big eyes. Long eyelashes. Did she really mean?

"It's been months," she said softly. Jess shrugged her shoulders. "And that's really my only problem. Which is not even a problem, really. It's more like an annoyance. It's not a big deal."

Nick just looked at her in wonderment. How is it possible that that could be a problem for her?

Jess's cheeks grew pink.

"I over-shared, didn't I?" she said. "I feel like I'm always doing that with you."

"No," Nick said quickly. "No, you didn't. I mean, it's been a while for me too. I bet it's been even longer."

Really? Had he really just said that?

Jess laughed. And he felt relieved. She shook her head. Adorably.

"It's like we're the last two single people left on the planet," Jess chuckled.

"Well, then you know what we should do," he said.

Jess stopped laughing. She stared at him. Blinked. With great big eyes.

And his brain instantly melted. Had he really just said that? Everything in his body seized, in shock and horror. Everything at once. What was wrong with him? He opened his mouth to say something. Anything. He was joking. It was just a joke.

"We should take the last shot," Jess said quietly. She sounded serious, suddenly. There was a look in her eye that Nick did not recognize.

He felt on fire.

"Okay," he whispered.

And she sat up from the floor. He followed her. They took the shot glasses into their hands. And sat directly in front of each other. Staring into each other. Why was this room so goddamn hot? And dark?

"Cheers," Jess said. She knocked her glass into his.

"Cheers," he said.

And they swallowed the last shot. No Regrets. Nick felt it burn down his throat. He put the glass down on the table and looked at Jess, who had her eyes closed and her lips pursed. She shook her head and put her glass down on the table. She smiled at him.

"I love tequila," she said. He was looking at her. And her bare arms.

"Tequila makes me take my clothes off," she said.

A thousand deaths. He felt a thousand heart attacks pummel his chest. The unbearable heat of a scorching hell summer flood over his body as the door to the apartment opened and Cece and Schmidt came in. He moved his eyes for a fraction of a second from Jess's face. She was staring directly at him. Serious. Hot.

Cece giggled somewhere behind him.

"Wow," Schmidt said, walking over to the couch. He looked at the scattered shot glasses. "It looks like you guys robbed a minibar."

"It definitely smells like you guys robbed a minibar," said Cece.

Jess laughed. And it sounded wrong, awkward. Cece gave her a look. Jess cast her eyes to the ground.

What is going on? Nick's brain fired a million answers simultaneously.

"I just want to thank you two for abiding by the Electricity Reduction Plan," Schmidt was saying to them. Nick's wasn't really listening. Jess was not making eye contact. Why wasn't she looking at him? What had she just said? What had she meant? What had she meant?

"I actually think I like the unitary lamp lighting better," Schmidt said. "I'm really feeling it. Don't you think it makes the place look cosy? Like a candlelit chamber of the Taj Mahal?"

"Let's go to bed, Schmidt," Cece said.

"I'm going to go to bed as well," Jess announced. And she stood up from the floor quickly. Wobbly. Nick immediately put his hand on her leg, to steady her. She looked at him in surprise. His hand burned.

"Do you need help getting to bed?" Cece said. She was looking at them. Like she knew. But what was there to know? What was happening?

"No," Jess said softly.

Nick removed his hand. And he got up off the floor.

"We'll clean this up in the morning," he said to no one in particular. The scattered array of shot glasses on the coffee table.

"Well, goodnight, guys," Schmidt said.

"Goodnight," Nick and Jess said simultaneously. They looked at each other. And then away.

Nick heard Schmidt close the door to his bedroom. And he released a breath that he didn't know he had been holding. He looked down at Jess. She was staring at him with the biggest eyes in the whole world. He couldn't look away. This is happening, his brain said. Shh, Nick responded.

They walked down the hallway to their bedrooms. To their opposing doors. And stood there. And looked at each other. Slowly.

"Goodnight, Miller," she said quietly.

His heart hammered to a roar.

"Goodnight, Day," he said.

Then Jess turned. She opened her bedroom door. It closed. Nick stood in the hall. Staring. At her bedroom. In silence.

Well, said his brain. This is new.

A/N: This is my first fanfiction. Please review!