Not sure how these chapters got so out of order... but that'll teach me to take my eye off the ball.

I can't wait to be with you.

Jeff replaced his phone in his pocket and shifted in his seat in the bar. He'd reread the text three times already, feeling a little jolt of happiness every time. Beside him, Frankie was detailing her final plans for the new semester with the Dean while Chang tried desperately to get involved. He'd largely managed to blank them out, but snippets of conversation- something about a college pet to replace Annie's Boobs- managed to seep through and he threw his head back and groaned. They'd been at the bar for the best part of two hours, Britta had insisted that they have one final get together before the start of school the next week, but the sense of excitement hadn't quite hit him yet. He was impatient for the night to be over, partly due to his own sobriety, and the fact that his route home was being delayed by the Dean's obsession with dalmatians.

"But Frankie, they're just so majestic! Think how one would look in my office!"

"Craig," Jeff snapped, slamming his palms on the table, "No one has to think about it because we've all seen your wardrobe. Now can we please get going. I need to drop you off in the next hour otherwise-"

"Otherwise what? Where do you need to be at one in the morning?" Britta dropped another drink on the table and sank down in to the chair next to his, crossing her legs and raising an eyebrow at him. Frankie's phone beeped, a sound that often preceded her hurrying away to some appointment or another, and Jeff watched her frown as she looked at the screen.

"Annie's flight lands in two hours…" she said slowly. Jeff felt the sudden burning of all eyes on him. He'd expected some degree of disapproval, but the look Frankie in particular was giving him was more than he bargained for.

"Do you have a Google alert on all of our whereabouts?" The joke fell as flat as he thought it would, but it broke the looks of judgement all around him. Then, chaos as they all tried to speak at once.

"What are you thinking, Winger?"

"Oh, Jeffrey!"

"Are you actually out of your mind?"

Jeff slammed his palm down on the table, silencing them even as they continued to glare at him. He had known they would have something to say, which was why he had kept their late night conversations under wraps until he could see Annie in person.

"Why is it so hard for you to all accept that maybe I actually like her. I want to be with her."

"We know that, Jeff," Frankie said, not unkindly, "But our concern isn't your feelings being real, it's whether you're the best thing for her."

"What?"

"Annie's… more vulnerable than you're letting yourself realise." Britta's voice took on that familiar confidence that came out whenever something psychological was being discussed. "You're an older guy giving her attention, of course she's responding."

"Britta, Annie's not a child. We've been friends for six years, do you really think I'd do anything to ever hurt her?"

"Not deliberately. But it's pretty obvious even to me that she's been in love with you for a long time. And as her friends, we're just worried that she's going to get hurt," replied Frankie, leaning forward and patting his hand gently. Jeff pulled it away harshly and glared out at the group.

"Yeah, well, not that's it any of your business how I feel about her but maybe the feeling's mutual," he began, but Britta grabbed his arm and cut him off.

"Wait, you love her?"

Jeff opened his mouth to respond but was silenced by Chang's hand on his shoulder.

"Guys, I think it's important that we respect Jeff's feelings. We shouldn't be the first ones to know how he feels about Annie, she should."

There was a long, pregnant pause as the group tried to adjust to Chang being the voice of reason for once that was broken by Frankie's exaggerated shrug.

"Well, Annie and Jeff are adults, when all's said and done. So I guess we have no choice but to be supportive and be there if it all goes wrong."

"You guys all know that I'm still here, right?" Jeff patted himself dramatically for emphasis. "Is this is a new thing where you all insult me to my face rather than behind my back like normal people? Someone else can give the Dean a ride home, I'm out of here."

The group had the decency to look shame faced and he felt a little bit of his usual confidence rise to the surface. Pushing himself out of his seat, he grabbed his coat and gave them one final look.

"Look, I get that you guys are all worried. Probably about both of us. But those feelings that you think Annie feels… I need to… actually say the words to her first but you're right. I do feel the same. I want to be with her and I really think she wants to be with me too," he took a deep breath, "You all just need to trust me on this one. I won't let any of you down. Least of all Annie."

He didn't look back at he left the bar, simply took out his phone and typed a text as he walked out in to the carpark.

I'll be there when you land. Can't wait to kiss you. Jeff x