What I've Been Looking For:
AN: Hey guys thank you so much for your responses for chapter one. I saw that prompt on tumblr and I couldn't help but think of Annie and Jeff. This was originally meant to be a one shot but after thinking about it so much I've developed a longer plot and will be publishing them as soon as I write them. As always comments, favs and follows are appreciated.
Thanks for the love,
Tay
Chapter 2: The Family
They've been on three dates when she says, "Hey, my friends are getting together at this little bar on 20th street. My other roommate's birthday is that day, and I'd really like it if you could come and… you know… meet them?" Her face quenches up when she's done asking him because at this moment Annie doesn't know how serious they are, I mean Jeff did tell her that he wasn't a relationship kind of guy.
As she was thinking this a thought popped into Jeff's head. They had been out together on three separate occasions (not including the one where they met) and this would be their first 'coupley' event together. And that scared him. He swallowed and smiled at her, I mean how could he not, and said, "Yeah, sure" As if it was no big deal.
She smiles at his response then hugs him, "Oh Jeff, I just know they're going to love you!" She pulls back and beams up at him, "You should wear that blue collared shirt that makes your eyes pop!"
"What am I, meeting your parents?" He tries to joke because she's so cute when she gets all excited like that, but she's even cuter when he teases her.
But as soon as he says that her entire attitude changes, "No," she says, "You probably won't ever meet them."
He wants to ask her why he wont get to meet them, but at the same times he's not sure how serious he wants this relationship with Annie to be. So he drops it, "Don't worry," he tells her, "I'll wear that shirt and the matching tie to make the best possible impression I can on your friends."
"Thanks, they're like family to me." She smiles again and pulls him down for a small kiss.
He's decided that his favorite hobby is kissing Annie Edison. He likes the way her soft puckered lips feel against his. He likes the way she tugs at his neck to make sure he doesn't move a muscle, and he especially loves the way she tastes. Like coffee or cinnamon. Jeff's never really liked cinnamon before but he loves the way it tastes against Annie's lips.
"Ok I'll see you Thursday." She says after she tells him all of the plans for the party. He watches her as she turns and leaves the small café before typing out the details in his phone. She arrives home to find Troy and Abed playing video games with Britta, Troy's girlfriend, reading "Yes Please" by Amy Poehler.
"Hey where've you been?" Britta asks Annie as she drops her keys on the counter.
"Annie has a new boyfriend." Abed said.
"Vaughn?" Britta said disgusted.
"Abed!" Annie exclaimed, "He's not Vaughn and he is not my boyfriend." Abed shrugged and continued to play his video game. Annie turned back to Britta, "It's just this guy that I've gone on a few dates with. He's actually going to go to Troy's birthday at Shirley's on Thursday night."
Britta smiled, "Sounds pretty serious."
"Wait what? You're inviting a total stranger to my birthday?" Troy paused the video game and turned around to face Annie, "What if we don't like him? What if he's racist? What if he says Spiderman 3 is his favorite movie!?"
"Troy, he's not racist and I would like to think I have enough sense and taste to not date a guy who thinks Spiderman 3 is even a mediocre film."
"It's not Tobey McGuire's fault that he had an awesome franchise that was inevitably destroyed by a horrible finale." Abed commented.
"Anyway!" Annie said, "I want you guys to be on your best behavior, I really like this guy."
"Well we already know that Britta's not going to like him." Abed said.
"Why do you think that?" Britta asked.
Abed shrugged, "Britta with your hipster mentality and inability to rant about any situation you're sure to clash with Annie's new boyfriend who is a lawyer. His personality should be pretty self-explanatory judging by his career. "
"Ewwww." Britta exaggerates, "You're dating some lawyer douche bag."
"Britta! He's not a douche bag, he's actually kind of sweet." Annie says as a blush creeps on her cheeks after that final comment.
Britta rolls her eyes and returns to reading her book. Annie moved to sit next to her and put on her best pouty face. "What do you want Annie?"
"Please promise me you'll give him a chance."
Britta pursed her lips and looked at Annie before sighing frustratedly, "Fine I'll give your dumb boyfriend a chance." Annie squealed and pulled Britta in for a soul-crushing hug.
On Thursday Jeff stared at the clock, waiting until he was able to leave the office. "Winger!" he looks up and sees Alan standing in the doorway.
"Alan!" Jeff says almost sarcastic enough to be considered ecstatic to see this jerk.
"A couple of guys and I are going out tonight, wanna come?"
"As much as I'd love to," Jeff lies, "I already have plans."
"That's like the second time this week bro, are you dating someone?" Alan asks completely shocked.
Jeff pauses and he thinks he can feel the beads of swear forming on his hairline. He swallows before he answers Alan's question, "As a matter of fact I am."
"Who knew someone would be able to tie down the Wingman." Alan laughs.
"I'm not being tied down, I just have been on a couple of dates with this girl and we're going out again tonight." He decides to leave out the part about him meeting her friends, who Annie considers family, that night too.
It takes him a few more minutes to wrap up his conversation with Alan before he finally leaves. Half an hour later he's walking to his Lexus, he goes home and changes then promptly picks Annie up at 7:30 sharp.
She's wearing this strapless pink dress that comes just above her kneecaps and has a thin black belt that perfectly accentuates her tiny waist. It also does a pretty great job of showing off her cleavage, it's tasteful but edgy and Jeff loves it. He helps her into his Lexus and he begins to drive towards Shirley's.
"You haven't told me her name yet." Annie says.
Jeff almost slams on his breaks, what was she referring too? She was the only girl he had shown interest in the past couple of weeks they had been dating. Well he did flirt with that girl at Starbucks the other morning but he instantly remembered that he was seeing somebody and it stopped immediately, "What are you talking about? You're the only girl I've been dating recently." He says quickly.
She laughs, "No Jeff, I meant what's the name of your car? A person who goes to this much trouble to make sure his car doesn't have one smudge of dirt on it must have named it."
He relaxes in his seat before answering, "She doesn't have a name. She's just my Lexus not my pet."
"Oh come on Jeff, it has to have a name."
"No it doesn't, it's ridiculous." Jeff says poignantly.
"I named my car, does that make me ridiculous?" Jeff glances over at the passenger seat and sees that her lips have formed a straight line and she's glaring at him with her big blue eyes.
"What's your car's name?"
"Her name is Padme." She says proudly. She bought her little red Mazda right after she moved in with Troy and Abed and they helped her name it. But in front of Jeff she was going to take full credit for naming her car.
"I did not pick you out to be a Star Wars nerd Miss. Edison." He teases.
"Anyone who doesn't like Star Wars is a complete moron Jeff." He nods in response, "So what are we going to name your car? A grey Lexus." He pulls up to a red light and watches her while she thinks about the perfect name for his car.
"Inferno?" she suggests and Jeff shakes his head.
"Oh how about the Phantom?" she says ecstatic, he shoots it down again.
"Mirage?"
"Annie that has got to be the lamest name for a car I've ever heard."
"Well I can't help it you're picky! You should have named it long before I showed up, it's your duty as a car owner." She huffs before leaning back in her seat and crossing her arms. She is still thinking about a name when they pull up to Shirley's. "I've got it!" she exclaims as Jeff parks his car, "What about the Falcon?"
"Hm." Jeff says, "I like it."
"So it's settled, your Lexus shall forever be known as 'The Falcon'" She giggles as she gets out of the car. Shirley, a friend of Annie's and owner of the bar closed for the evening to host Troy's birthday dinner. She and Jeff walk into Shirley's together and Jeff is quickly introduced to everyone. "Hey, where's Britta?" Annie asks Troy.
"Running a little late." Troy tells her.
Annie sees Abed walk up to Jeff and he offers his hand out, "According to social conventions you're supposed to shake hands when you meet someone." Jeff gives him a strange look at first but shakes his hand anyway. "It's nice to see you in places other than my apartment."
"Oh my!" Shirley says.
"No not like that," Jeff says, "I've just been walking her to the door when I drop her off and stuff." But Shirley raises an eyebrow at him and mouths 'I'm watching you boy' before walking back towards the bar.
"Look Jeff, I've known Annie for a long time. She's a nice girl." Abed said to Jeff.
"She's a very nice girl," Jeff emphasizes, his eyes search the room and they lock with Annie's and he gives a small smile. Abed pauses and looks at the glances between the two and contemplates what it means before he continued.
"One thing you'll find out about me is that I'm not very good at receiving social queues and I don't often think about how what I say affects other people." Jeff nodded at Abed's confession, "And at this moment I don't care how what I say affects you." He said, "I care about Annie. And you should know that if you do anything to hurt or upset her, everyone in this room will tar and feather you."
Jeff's eyes widened and his throat felt so big he had to swallow, "Annie really seems to like you, and if she likes you… Then we do too. So welcome to the group Jeff, do you want some punch?"
Jeff isn't sure how to react to this kid but he smirks and says, "Yeah, I'd love some." So Abed hands him a glass of punch and they sat there in comfortable silence drinking a beverage for fifth graders.
Well it was comfortable until Jeff heard a familiar voice, that wasn't Annie's, call out his name. He turned and he saw Britta Perry, who isn't a total stranger to him, standing in the doorway. In that moment Jeff felt a weight that crushed his chest, because he had the gnawing feeling that his relationship with Annie was over.
AN: hehe chapter three will finish Troy's birthday and we'll get more background on this AU's version of Jeff and Britta's past.