I didn't think I would ever finish this chapter!! I'm a little under the weather and everything seems to be moving slower, including my typing.
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Chapter Eleven
(The Next Morning)
Mimi woke up slowly from what must have been a beautiful dream. Unfortunately, she couldn't remember the details, but she had known it involved Jason and it made her happy. She was surprised to find Jason's bare arm draped over her. Mimi rolled over on to her side so she could face him. He was still sleeping peacefully, and he looked so young and innocent in her eyes. She would have never believed it, but there behind the facade he had put up during high school, he was really just as scared and vulnerable as everyone else was.
She slowly ran her hand up his arm, and realized he was cold, due to the covers that had slipped off of him, exposing his bare chest to the chilly November air. She pulled the comforter up to cover him and scooted herself into him, allowing her body heat to warm him. Mimi slowly traced lines on his bare back with the tips of her fingers, doing her best to not wake him up.
So many thoughts were running through her mind as she watched him. They had only been together for such a short time, but things seemed to be moving so quickly. She secretly wondered if they were moving too quickly. They were both afraid of the strong feelings they had for each other, and both of them had issues with trust and insecurity to still work out. Their hormonal teenage bodies were telling them one thing, but her brain was telling her another and she didn't know which one to listen to. She wanted to be able to trust him with everything she had, but this was still Jason, and she was always afraid that he would revert back to his old ways, breaking her heart in the process.
Mimi had to push her thoughts away for another time, because Jason's eyes opened and he yawned softly. "Morning beautiful..."
Mimi smiled and blushed slightly. She still didn't believe it when he called her beautiful. "Good morning... Imagine my surprise to find you here when I woke up this morning."
"A bad surprise?"
"Not at all... I kind of like having you here."
Jason leaned in to kiss her but Mimi turned her head away. He looked at her with surprise, wondering why she wouldn't want to kiss him. His question was soon answered when she breathed into her hand to check her breath. She turned back to him and grinned, "Sorry... I have morning breath."
Jason smiled and tipped her chin upwards with his finger. "I don't mind at all."
He leaned in and kissed her gently, not at all forcefully, just sweet and tender. Mimi sighed softly, she could definitely get used to this. "Do you think Nick and Rory are up yet?"
"I don't really care about them. I only care about you..."
"Well, as much as I would like to spend all day in this exact spot, we do have other things to do."
Jason sighed deeply and nodded in understanding. "Alright, alright... I guess we should go see if Tweedledee and Tweedledum are up and at 'em."
Mimi stretched her arms and legs as Jason slid out of bed and threw on his t-shirt and jeans. She gazed at him lovingly, admiring every exposed inch of his tan and muscular skin. She still couldn't believe it, that this perfectly sculpted Adonis belonged to her. And, that's why she was still so afraid to lose him.
She sighed softly and got out of bed, adjusting her t-shirt and pajama bottoms. They crept down the hallway together, and noticed that the rooms Rory and Nick had slept in were empty, which meant they were already up. Mimi and Jason went downstairs, seeing no sign of them in the living room; then realized their location when they heard the sound of clanging in the kitchen.
They walked into the kitchen where Nick was sitting on a barstool sketching something in his sketchpad, and Rory was dancing around the kitchen cooking various things for breakfast. Both were completely oblivious to their friends' arrival as they stood in the doorway quietly. She was flipping pancakes on a griddle that Jason didn't even know his family owned, and began singing at the top of her lungs.
***Humidity is rising - Barometer's getting low
According to all sources, the street's the place to go
Cause tonight for the first time
Just about half-past ten
For the first time in history
It's gonna start raining men.
It's Raining Men! Hallelujah! - It's Raining Men! Amen!
I'm gonna go out to run and let myself get
Absolutely soaking wet!
It's Raining Men! Hallelujah!
It's Raining Men! Every Specimen!
Tall, blonde, dark and lean
Rough and tough and strong and mean***
Rory danced to over to the frying pan and began putting the crisp bacon on to the plate in her hand. Nick was trying to pretend to be engrossed in his sketching, but his eyes were glued to her as she moved freely about the kitchen. He wondered how it was possible that this girl knew how to have a good time even at eight in the morning.
***God bless Mother Nature, she's a single woman too
She took off to heaven and she did what she had to do
She taught every angel to rearrange the sky
So that each and every woman could find her perfect guy
It's Raining Men! Yeah!
It's Raining Men! Hallelujah! - It's Raining Men! Amen!
It's Raining Men! Hallelujah! - It's Raining Men!***
Rory held out a note at the end and flipped the pancakes once again, striking a pose with the spatula in her hand. Jason and Mimi were laughing hysterically and began applauding in appreciation. Rory, who never seemed to be embarrassed by anything, turned around and smiled proudly at them, giving them a bow as they continued their applause.
"Thank you, thank you very much. You've been a lovely audience."
Mimi grinned in appreciation. "You know, Rory... maybe you should have your own cooking show. You could be the dancing chef..."
Rory nodded her head in agreement and turned to look at Nick curiously. He had gone back to his sketching, pretending to be aloof. "What about you, Nicholas? Did you... you know, enjoy the show?"
Nick shook his head and kept his eyes on the sketchpad. "I wasn't watching. Sorry."
Rory wadded up a paper towel and threw it at him, smacking him in the side of the head. "Liar. You loved it, I know you did."
And he did love it. He would just never give her the satisfaction of knowing that he completely adored her carefree and crazy personality. And, even though she annoyed him constantly, he liked having her around and even her more annoying qualities were becoming endearing. But, if Rory knew that about him, she would make sure to harp on about it at every possible opportunity. So, instead of agreeing, he shook his head again and muttered softly. "Whatever."
Jason walked further in the kitchen, sniffing at all of the delicious smells. "So... what's for breakfast?"
"A little bit of everything. Pancakes, eggs, bacon, and some fresh fruit."
Jason grinned hungrily and joined Nick at the bar. Mimi chuckled and looked towards Rory. "I better watch out, if you keep cooking for us, he'll want to date YOU and not ME."
Rory began dishing food on to the plates and shook her head. "Oh, no, no, no. Don't get used to this. I can't do much cooking from a mini-fridge and a microwave in the dorm room. So, I will not be doing any boyfriend snatching... Besides... Me and Jase? That's just..."
Rory shuddered and wrinkled up her nose in disgust. "Gross... Really gross."
Jason rolled his eyes and pouted slightly. "Geez, thanks, Rory. That's so sweet of you to say."
Nick lifted his head from his sketch and smiled at Mimi reassuringly. "Don't worry, Meems. She's only got eyes for me. Jase is completely safe."
Rory slapped down a breakfast plate in front of Nick and growled at him. "Here you go, Nicholas. I made this plate special -- just for you. You can hardly tell that I spit in your eggs."
Nick grabbed his fork and took a huge mouthful of eggs. "Mmmmmm... It's good, Rory. Just the way I love it. Over easy and full of saliva."
The rest of the group took their own plates and began diving into their breakfasts. Rory looked at Mimi curiously, and swallowed her mouthful of orange juice. "So, Meems... When are you supposed to meet up with your old 'gang' this weekend?"
"Tomorrow... I guess Shawn and Belle are spending a romantic day together, since they were forced to spend all day yesterday with their families. Chloe is hanging out with Brady, and Phillip stayed in New York. Since his brother Austin lives there too, they decided to have Thanksgiving there this year."
"Meems... Are you SURE your friends don't hate me?"
Mimi laughed and shook her head. The gang had met both Rory and Nick on some of their prior weekend visits, and everyone seemed to get along just fine. In fact, Belle had said it made her feel much less guilty about leaving Mimi behind to know that she had made such good friends in college. "Yes, Rory... I'm sure. Besides, when have you ever cared about what other people think about you?"
Rory grinned slightly. "Oh. I don't. I was just worried... for your sake, Meems."
Jason looked to Rory and raised his eyebrows with a smirk. "Well, they may not hate you. But they definitely hate me."
Mimi's heart sunk in her chest. It had not been easy convincing her friends that Jason wasn't up to the cruel and immature behavior that he had demonstrated time and time again during high school. And for some reason that she couldn't figure out, Belle was having the hardest time believing it. Mimi stumbled for words, trying to figure out what to say that was reassuring.
Thankfully, Nick jumped in. "I think maybe 'hate' is the wrong word for it, Jase. Besides, they kind of have pretty good reasons for not trusting you. They just haven't been around you enough to see that you're growing up and putting the past behind you."
Rory nodded in agreement and reached across the counter to pat Jason on the hand. "Nicholas is right, for once." Nick stuck his tongue out at the words 'for once', and Rory just mimicked him right back. "Anyway, Jase. He's right. It will just take time. And eventually they'll begin to accept you for who you are now and not what you did in the past."
Jason shrugged nonchalantly and shook his head. "I don't really care. I don't care if they accept *me*. I just care that they accept the idea of Mimi and I being a couple. I don't want our relationship to screw up lifelong friendships."
Mimi was aimlessly swirling a fork full of pancakes in the syrup on her plate. She had a frown on her face, which did not go unnoticed by her boyfriend. "Mimi... You haven't told them yet. You haven't said anything to Belle or Chloe, or any of them. They don't know we're dating... Do they?"
Mimi felt awful, like she had just been punched in the stomach. She couldn't look Jason in the eye she just nodded sadly. "I... I've been wanting to... But, it's not easy. I just... I don't want lectures from them about who I'm involving myself with. Not now, not when everything is going so well. I just didn't want to have to explain myself to people who live a thousand miles away. They don't know what's going on here and they wouldn't understand it. Not yet."
Mimi could feel tears welling up in her eyes. It had been only three weeks, and she was already screwing everything up. Leave it to her to ruin a great thing like this. But, much to her surprise, Jason reached over and grabbed her hand, gently caressing the top of it with his thumb.
"Meems... it's okay. I understand. Please don't cry."
Mimi looked in his eyes, tears right on the edge of her eyelids. "You... You understand?"
Jason smiled and leaned forward to kiss her on the forehead. "Yes, I understand. I haven't exactly introduced you to my parents yet, so I'm just as guilty as you are."
"Jase... I've known your parents since we were kids. I used to come to birthday parties here in elementary school."
"Yes... But, they don't know that you're my girlfriend yet. But, they will... when they get back from Florida, I will tell them. I promise. Do you promise to tell Belle and everyone else about us?"
Mimi smiled happily and nodded. "I promise. I'll tell them as soon as I get a chance."
Jason smiled back at her and gave her a brief kiss on the lips. "Good, then all is forgiven."
Rory clapped her hands together in satisfaction and motioned for everyone to finish their food. "Well, now that that's settled... Eat up. We've got things to do today!"
Everyone did as instructed, quickly munching down on the delicious breakfast that Rory had cooked for them. Mimi kept her eyes on Jason as he finished his plate of food. She couldn't believe that he had been so easy going about it. While she was ready to cry and beg for his forgiveness, he passed it off like it wasn't a big deal. Not only was she incredibly lucky, Jason was extremely understanding. It only made her love him more.
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(Later that Afternoon - Salem Place)
Jason and Mimi were waiting patiently in the Java Cafe for Nick and Rory to return from whatever store they had lost them in. Rory wasn't addicted to shopping like Belle was, she was just obsessed with Holiday sales and impulse buys. And, the day after Thanksgiving was the best day to buy tons of marked down crap you didn't really need to begin with. And, as usual, Nick seemed to tag along behind her. Whether he wanted to, or whether she forced him in to it, it seemed to be the way things always ended up lately.
Mimi sipped on her coffee and smiled at Jason. "Are you sure you're not mad about me not telling Belle?"
Jason put his cup down and nodded. His poor Meems. She stressed out over the slightest things sometimes. She was so afraid of screwing things up with them, and he knew exactly how she felt, because he was afraid of the same things too. "Mimi, I am not mad about this morning. But, if you ask me one more time about it... I may have to reconsider my answer."
Mimi smiled happily before taking another sip of coffee. "Oh good. And, I swear I won't ask you about it again."
He loved that smile, the way she lit up whenever she was feeling comfortable or safe in a situation. She just needed to be reassured sometimes, and he was glad to be the one to do it. Mimi was so strong, but so fragile at the same time. Jason had never met someone so fascinating, and he knew it would take a lifetime to learn every tiny little complexity of her. And for a reason unbeknownst to him, that didn't seem such a bad idea. A lifetime of getting to know Mimi Lockhart didn't sound so bad at all.
His thoughts were interrupted by a very excited Rory and a very aloof Nick. Rory was carrying a small shopping bag that she sat on top of their table. "Hi Guys... Guess what I got?"
Jason raised an eyebrow thoughtfully. "Something incredibly overpriced and completely useless?"
Nick rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath. "You're only half right, Jase."
Rory took a mound of tissue out of the bag and unwrapped her find, beaming proudly at it. There was a silver base in the middle of it, surrounded by about eight silver reindeer hanging off of posts.
Mimi stared at it strangely and poked one of the silver reindeer, and the gaggle of them started spinning slowly around the silver base. "Uhmmmmm... It's nice. Uhm... What is it?"
Rory shrugged but kept smiling. "I don't know, but it was fifty percent off. Can't pass that up."
She was truly insane, and none of the others would argue with that. Nick leaned forward and tapped the base with his index finger. "Ror, it's a candle holder."
Rory looked at it curiously and then nodded in understanding. "Ohhhhhh... A candle holder. Now it makes perfect sense."
She looked up at Nick and smiled in appreciation, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thanks Nicholas. That's why you're the smart one."
Rory put her new candle holder back in the bag, and everyone gathered their stuff to head towards the ice rink in the park. Mimi and Jason listened to Rory and Nick prattle on about the Mythology class that Rory had been taking, and the influence of ancient Greece on nearly every aspect of art, science and politics. Mimi and Jason were definitely not stupid, but sometimes they felt lost when Rory and Nick discussed those kinds of subjects. Aside from her dumb jokes and their constant bickering, they were both too intelligent for their own good. Mimi and Jason preferred to stick to simpler subjects, seeing as how they weren't quite as well-read as their roommates.
They reached the rink to rent their skates, quickly storing their belongs and tying them on. Mimi was the first to hit the ice and she waited patiently for Jason to join her. She shivered slightly in the cold November air, and began rubbing her bare hands together for warmth. Jason hobbled over from his bench and looked at her with concern.
"Are you cold?"
"I... I forgot my gloves. That's all."
Jason nodded and grinned slightly. He reached in his coat pocket and pulled out her winter gloves. "Then it's a good thing that I grabbed them off the table for you."
Mimi took them and quickly slid her hands into them. She looked up at Jason with a smile of surprise. "You brought them for me?"
"Only because I knew you'd forget."
Mimi sighed softly and took his hand, leading him on to the ice. Jason would never be one for grand romantic gestures, but she realized she didn't need them. Something as simple as remembering to bring her gloves because Mimi was generally absentminded and forgetful, was more romantic than any gesture you'd read about in a romance novel. It wasn't a dozen roses, it meant so much more than that.
She noticed that Jason wasn't exactly the king of the ice, and she couldn't help laughing at him. "Jase... Having problems?"
He stumbled slightly and then straightened himself up. "Nope, I'm fine. I'm just... skating was never my strong suit."
Mimi smirked and nodded in agreement. "Obviously..."
She skated backwards so she could look into his eyes, holding on to both of his hands and leading him slowly around the rink. Jason grinned at her proudly. "But you have had a little practice, haven't you, Lockhart?"
"Mmm-hmmmmm... Belle's parents used to take us out here all the time when we were kids. We'd pretend to be Katarina Witt or Kristi Yamaguchi. I'm not ready to do a triple salchow anytime soon, but I know my way around the ice."
Jason pointed behind her at Rory and Nick. "You're not the only one."
Mimi turned her head and nearly fell over with laughter. If there was one thing Rory loved to do, it was dance, and strapping on a pair of ice skates would not stop her. She was leading Nick by the hands around the ice, singing the same song she had sung in the kitchen, and for lack of a better word, shaking her groove thing. Nick was laughing and smiling at her, and despite himself, dancing along with her. The rest of the skaters on the rink were staring at them like they were on drugs.
Mimi laughed and turned back to Jason. "It's like... Only Rory knows how to bring out every side to Nick's mysterious personality. He only smiles like that around her."
Jason nodded in agreement. If there was one person who could take the most credit for bringing Nick out of his shell, it would be Rory. Whether she was making him laugh, arguing with him, or having an intellectual discussion, Nick showed sides to her that he never showed to Jason or Mimi. "I just wish they'd give it up, and admit they want to go out with each other."
Mimi sighed softly and nodded. "I know... But, Nick has this thing where's he never asked a girl out before, he's always been the askee, not the asker. And, Rory... well, she's just oblivious to his feelings for her. Maybe *we* should do something to change that. Payback for what they did to us?'
"Not a bad idea. But, I kind of want to focus on something else at this very moment."
Mimi looked at him curiously and Jason winked at her. He pulled her close and gave her a long deep kiss. She wasn't embarrassed at all to be kissed in front of a rink full of strangers, especially when that kiss came from Jason. Mimi broke away from him breathlessly, her green eyes twinkling mischievously.
"So... what was it you want to focus on?"
"You."
Mimi nodded in understanding and dashed off across the ice, shouting to Jason who stood still behind her. "YOU'LL HAVE TO CATCH ME FIRST MASTERS!"
She giggled as she glided quickly across the ice, knowing that Jason was trying his best to chase her despite his complete lack of skill on the ice.
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(Later that Night)
Mimi finished brushing her teeth and padded across the wood floors of the Masters house in her pajamas. She reached the spare room she had slept in the night before and was surprised to see Jason sitting on the edge of her bed in his boxers and t-shirt. He seemed to be lost in thought, barely noticing that she had entered.
Mimi sat down next to him with a sigh. "Jason... What's up?"
He kept his eyes on the floor and spoke quietly. "I... I need to talk to you."
"Good, because I need to talk to you too."
Jason lifted his head and looked her in the eyes. "You do? What about?"
Mimi bit her lip nervously but didn't answer. "Well... What do you need to talk to me about?"
Jason ran a hand through his blonde hair nervously and took a deep breath in before replying. "Sex... We need to talk about sex."
Mimi nodded, almost smiling with relief. That was exactly what she wanted to talk about. Jason took her hand and continued with a smile on his face. "Mimi... I was thinking about what happened yesterday in the kitchen... And, how we just sort of started this thing between us off on the like the setting that's the one right before the hottest setting. And... Maybe we should have started out on low."
Mimi smiled back at him and spoke her own thoughts. "I think I see what you mean. I mean, yeah, we've known each other for like thirteen years, but that doesn't mean we should just be hopping into bed together. Not that I wouldn't want to... with you... you know. Because, I would. I *totally* would. But... I can't. Not yet. But, I will someday... and I want to do that with you. Only you. But, having not done it before... and you not having done it before... we should wait until we are ready. It's a big deal... and I don't want to rush. Do you?"
Mimi realized she was rambling and cringed. Jason laughed at her and put his finger over her lips to stop her. She was absolutely beautiful when she was stumbling over her own thoughts. "Meems... You know, most of that actually made sense to me. Either I've been around you long enough to translate your ramblings, or it's exactly what I wanted to say. I care about you so much, and I have never felt this way for anyone. I never thought I *could* feel this way. I don't our relationship to revolve around the physical aspect... I want it to be more than that. Because, I know it *is* more than that."
Mimi smiled and breathed a heavy sigh of relief. "That's what I was trying to say... Only I'm terrible with words, and I sound like an idiot when I do that. But, I do agree... We're both still working on so many issues within ourselves right now, and I just think that bringing our relationship to that level right now... Well, it might not be a good idea."
Jason nodded in agreement and pulled her into his arms. "I'm glad we agree then... The last thing I want to do is hurt you, and if we don't slow it down, then I'm afraid that's what I would end up doing."
Mimi sighed softly, her head resting on his shoulder. She could hardly believe it, Jason had truly changed. He was concerned more with hurting her than anything else, and it was just another step in the journey towards the day when she could give him her complete trust. The day when she could give him everything she had, her heart, soul and her body without worrying that that he was going to hurt or, or that she would hurt him.
She lifted her head and grinned lasciviously at him. "You know, Jase... There are plenty of other things we can do together without having sex..."
Jason grinned back at her and raised his eyebrows. "Would any of those things involve me getting to see that secret tattoo?"
Mimi giggled and shrugged innocently. "It just might. Why don't you kiss me and find out?"
"I certainly won't argue with that request." Jason held her close and kissed her passionately, pulling her down on to the bed with him.
Mimi knew that her body would ache for him severely, and it would be a long wait until the day they could take that next step physically. But, her heart and mind knew that they were doing the right thing by waiting. The wait would only make it that much sweeter when it did happen.
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I'm sorry to those who were clamoring for some major NC-17 action. You'll just have to wait patiently. I thought about it, and then decided I just wouldn't feel comfortable with it happening this soon. Especially not with some of the "issues" they still have to work out within themselves.
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Chapter Eleven
(The Next Morning)
Mimi woke up slowly from what must have been a beautiful dream. Unfortunately, she couldn't remember the details, but she had known it involved Jason and it made her happy. She was surprised to find Jason's bare arm draped over her. Mimi rolled over on to her side so she could face him. He was still sleeping peacefully, and he looked so young and innocent in her eyes. She would have never believed it, but there behind the facade he had put up during high school, he was really just as scared and vulnerable as everyone else was.
She slowly ran her hand up his arm, and realized he was cold, due to the covers that had slipped off of him, exposing his bare chest to the chilly November air. She pulled the comforter up to cover him and scooted herself into him, allowing her body heat to warm him. Mimi slowly traced lines on his bare back with the tips of her fingers, doing her best to not wake him up.
So many thoughts were running through her mind as she watched him. They had only been together for such a short time, but things seemed to be moving so quickly. She secretly wondered if they were moving too quickly. They were both afraid of the strong feelings they had for each other, and both of them had issues with trust and insecurity to still work out. Their hormonal teenage bodies were telling them one thing, but her brain was telling her another and she didn't know which one to listen to. She wanted to be able to trust him with everything she had, but this was still Jason, and she was always afraid that he would revert back to his old ways, breaking her heart in the process.
Mimi had to push her thoughts away for another time, because Jason's eyes opened and he yawned softly. "Morning beautiful..."
Mimi smiled and blushed slightly. She still didn't believe it when he called her beautiful. "Good morning... Imagine my surprise to find you here when I woke up this morning."
"A bad surprise?"
"Not at all... I kind of like having you here."
Jason leaned in to kiss her but Mimi turned her head away. He looked at her with surprise, wondering why she wouldn't want to kiss him. His question was soon answered when she breathed into her hand to check her breath. She turned back to him and grinned, "Sorry... I have morning breath."
Jason smiled and tipped her chin upwards with his finger. "I don't mind at all."
He leaned in and kissed her gently, not at all forcefully, just sweet and tender. Mimi sighed softly, she could definitely get used to this. "Do you think Nick and Rory are up yet?"
"I don't really care about them. I only care about you..."
"Well, as much as I would like to spend all day in this exact spot, we do have other things to do."
Jason sighed deeply and nodded in understanding. "Alright, alright... I guess we should go see if Tweedledee and Tweedledum are up and at 'em."
Mimi stretched her arms and legs as Jason slid out of bed and threw on his t-shirt and jeans. She gazed at him lovingly, admiring every exposed inch of his tan and muscular skin. She still couldn't believe it, that this perfectly sculpted Adonis belonged to her. And, that's why she was still so afraid to lose him.
She sighed softly and got out of bed, adjusting her t-shirt and pajama bottoms. They crept down the hallway together, and noticed that the rooms Rory and Nick had slept in were empty, which meant they were already up. Mimi and Jason went downstairs, seeing no sign of them in the living room; then realized their location when they heard the sound of clanging in the kitchen.
They walked into the kitchen where Nick was sitting on a barstool sketching something in his sketchpad, and Rory was dancing around the kitchen cooking various things for breakfast. Both were completely oblivious to their friends' arrival as they stood in the doorway quietly. She was flipping pancakes on a griddle that Jason didn't even know his family owned, and began singing at the top of her lungs.
***Humidity is rising - Barometer's getting low
According to all sources, the street's the place to go
Cause tonight for the first time
Just about half-past ten
For the first time in history
It's gonna start raining men.
It's Raining Men! Hallelujah! - It's Raining Men! Amen!
I'm gonna go out to run and let myself get
Absolutely soaking wet!
It's Raining Men! Hallelujah!
It's Raining Men! Every Specimen!
Tall, blonde, dark and lean
Rough and tough and strong and mean***
Rory danced to over to the frying pan and began putting the crisp bacon on to the plate in her hand. Nick was trying to pretend to be engrossed in his sketching, but his eyes were glued to her as she moved freely about the kitchen. He wondered how it was possible that this girl knew how to have a good time even at eight in the morning.
***God bless Mother Nature, she's a single woman too
She took off to heaven and she did what she had to do
She taught every angel to rearrange the sky
So that each and every woman could find her perfect guy
It's Raining Men! Yeah!
It's Raining Men! Hallelujah! - It's Raining Men! Amen!
It's Raining Men! Hallelujah! - It's Raining Men!***
Rory held out a note at the end and flipped the pancakes once again, striking a pose with the spatula in her hand. Jason and Mimi were laughing hysterically and began applauding in appreciation. Rory, who never seemed to be embarrassed by anything, turned around and smiled proudly at them, giving them a bow as they continued their applause.
"Thank you, thank you very much. You've been a lovely audience."
Mimi grinned in appreciation. "You know, Rory... maybe you should have your own cooking show. You could be the dancing chef..."
Rory nodded her head in agreement and turned to look at Nick curiously. He had gone back to his sketching, pretending to be aloof. "What about you, Nicholas? Did you... you know, enjoy the show?"
Nick shook his head and kept his eyes on the sketchpad. "I wasn't watching. Sorry."
Rory wadded up a paper towel and threw it at him, smacking him in the side of the head. "Liar. You loved it, I know you did."
And he did love it. He would just never give her the satisfaction of knowing that he completely adored her carefree and crazy personality. And, even though she annoyed him constantly, he liked having her around and even her more annoying qualities were becoming endearing. But, if Rory knew that about him, she would make sure to harp on about it at every possible opportunity. So, instead of agreeing, he shook his head again and muttered softly. "Whatever."
Jason walked further in the kitchen, sniffing at all of the delicious smells. "So... what's for breakfast?"
"A little bit of everything. Pancakes, eggs, bacon, and some fresh fruit."
Jason grinned hungrily and joined Nick at the bar. Mimi chuckled and looked towards Rory. "I better watch out, if you keep cooking for us, he'll want to date YOU and not ME."
Rory began dishing food on to the plates and shook her head. "Oh, no, no, no. Don't get used to this. I can't do much cooking from a mini-fridge and a microwave in the dorm room. So, I will not be doing any boyfriend snatching... Besides... Me and Jase? That's just..."
Rory shuddered and wrinkled up her nose in disgust. "Gross... Really gross."
Jason rolled his eyes and pouted slightly. "Geez, thanks, Rory. That's so sweet of you to say."
Nick lifted his head from his sketch and smiled at Mimi reassuringly. "Don't worry, Meems. She's only got eyes for me. Jase is completely safe."
Rory slapped down a breakfast plate in front of Nick and growled at him. "Here you go, Nicholas. I made this plate special -- just for you. You can hardly tell that I spit in your eggs."
Nick grabbed his fork and took a huge mouthful of eggs. "Mmmmmm... It's good, Rory. Just the way I love it. Over easy and full of saliva."
The rest of the group took their own plates and began diving into their breakfasts. Rory looked at Mimi curiously, and swallowed her mouthful of orange juice. "So, Meems... When are you supposed to meet up with your old 'gang' this weekend?"
"Tomorrow... I guess Shawn and Belle are spending a romantic day together, since they were forced to spend all day yesterday with their families. Chloe is hanging out with Brady, and Phillip stayed in New York. Since his brother Austin lives there too, they decided to have Thanksgiving there this year."
"Meems... Are you SURE your friends don't hate me?"
Mimi laughed and shook her head. The gang had met both Rory and Nick on some of their prior weekend visits, and everyone seemed to get along just fine. In fact, Belle had said it made her feel much less guilty about leaving Mimi behind to know that she had made such good friends in college. "Yes, Rory... I'm sure. Besides, when have you ever cared about what other people think about you?"
Rory grinned slightly. "Oh. I don't. I was just worried... for your sake, Meems."
Jason looked to Rory and raised his eyebrows with a smirk. "Well, they may not hate you. But they definitely hate me."
Mimi's heart sunk in her chest. It had not been easy convincing her friends that Jason wasn't up to the cruel and immature behavior that he had demonstrated time and time again during high school. And for some reason that she couldn't figure out, Belle was having the hardest time believing it. Mimi stumbled for words, trying to figure out what to say that was reassuring.
Thankfully, Nick jumped in. "I think maybe 'hate' is the wrong word for it, Jase. Besides, they kind of have pretty good reasons for not trusting you. They just haven't been around you enough to see that you're growing up and putting the past behind you."
Rory nodded in agreement and reached across the counter to pat Jason on the hand. "Nicholas is right, for once." Nick stuck his tongue out at the words 'for once', and Rory just mimicked him right back. "Anyway, Jase. He's right. It will just take time. And eventually they'll begin to accept you for who you are now and not what you did in the past."
Jason shrugged nonchalantly and shook his head. "I don't really care. I don't care if they accept *me*. I just care that they accept the idea of Mimi and I being a couple. I don't want our relationship to screw up lifelong friendships."
Mimi was aimlessly swirling a fork full of pancakes in the syrup on her plate. She had a frown on her face, which did not go unnoticed by her boyfriend. "Mimi... You haven't told them yet. You haven't said anything to Belle or Chloe, or any of them. They don't know we're dating... Do they?"
Mimi felt awful, like she had just been punched in the stomach. She couldn't look Jason in the eye she just nodded sadly. "I... I've been wanting to... But, it's not easy. I just... I don't want lectures from them about who I'm involving myself with. Not now, not when everything is going so well. I just didn't want to have to explain myself to people who live a thousand miles away. They don't know what's going on here and they wouldn't understand it. Not yet."
Mimi could feel tears welling up in her eyes. It had been only three weeks, and she was already screwing everything up. Leave it to her to ruin a great thing like this. But, much to her surprise, Jason reached over and grabbed her hand, gently caressing the top of it with his thumb.
"Meems... it's okay. I understand. Please don't cry."
Mimi looked in his eyes, tears right on the edge of her eyelids. "You... You understand?"
Jason smiled and leaned forward to kiss her on the forehead. "Yes, I understand. I haven't exactly introduced you to my parents yet, so I'm just as guilty as you are."
"Jase... I've known your parents since we were kids. I used to come to birthday parties here in elementary school."
"Yes... But, they don't know that you're my girlfriend yet. But, they will... when they get back from Florida, I will tell them. I promise. Do you promise to tell Belle and everyone else about us?"
Mimi smiled happily and nodded. "I promise. I'll tell them as soon as I get a chance."
Jason smiled back at her and gave her a brief kiss on the lips. "Good, then all is forgiven."
Rory clapped her hands together in satisfaction and motioned for everyone to finish their food. "Well, now that that's settled... Eat up. We've got things to do today!"
Everyone did as instructed, quickly munching down on the delicious breakfast that Rory had cooked for them. Mimi kept her eyes on Jason as he finished his plate of food. She couldn't believe that he had been so easy going about it. While she was ready to cry and beg for his forgiveness, he passed it off like it wasn't a big deal. Not only was she incredibly lucky, Jason was extremely understanding. It only made her love him more.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Later that Afternoon - Salem Place)
Jason and Mimi were waiting patiently in the Java Cafe for Nick and Rory to return from whatever store they had lost them in. Rory wasn't addicted to shopping like Belle was, she was just obsessed with Holiday sales and impulse buys. And, the day after Thanksgiving was the best day to buy tons of marked down crap you didn't really need to begin with. And, as usual, Nick seemed to tag along behind her. Whether he wanted to, or whether she forced him in to it, it seemed to be the way things always ended up lately.
Mimi sipped on her coffee and smiled at Jason. "Are you sure you're not mad about me not telling Belle?"
Jason put his cup down and nodded. His poor Meems. She stressed out over the slightest things sometimes. She was so afraid of screwing things up with them, and he knew exactly how she felt, because he was afraid of the same things too. "Mimi, I am not mad about this morning. But, if you ask me one more time about it... I may have to reconsider my answer."
Mimi smiled happily before taking another sip of coffee. "Oh good. And, I swear I won't ask you about it again."
He loved that smile, the way she lit up whenever she was feeling comfortable or safe in a situation. She just needed to be reassured sometimes, and he was glad to be the one to do it. Mimi was so strong, but so fragile at the same time. Jason had never met someone so fascinating, and he knew it would take a lifetime to learn every tiny little complexity of her. And for a reason unbeknownst to him, that didn't seem such a bad idea. A lifetime of getting to know Mimi Lockhart didn't sound so bad at all.
His thoughts were interrupted by a very excited Rory and a very aloof Nick. Rory was carrying a small shopping bag that she sat on top of their table. "Hi Guys... Guess what I got?"
Jason raised an eyebrow thoughtfully. "Something incredibly overpriced and completely useless?"
Nick rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath. "You're only half right, Jase."
Rory took a mound of tissue out of the bag and unwrapped her find, beaming proudly at it. There was a silver base in the middle of it, surrounded by about eight silver reindeer hanging off of posts.
Mimi stared at it strangely and poked one of the silver reindeer, and the gaggle of them started spinning slowly around the silver base. "Uhmmmmm... It's nice. Uhm... What is it?"
Rory shrugged but kept smiling. "I don't know, but it was fifty percent off. Can't pass that up."
She was truly insane, and none of the others would argue with that. Nick leaned forward and tapped the base with his index finger. "Ror, it's a candle holder."
Rory looked at it curiously and then nodded in understanding. "Ohhhhhh... A candle holder. Now it makes perfect sense."
She looked up at Nick and smiled in appreciation, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thanks Nicholas. That's why you're the smart one."
Rory put her new candle holder back in the bag, and everyone gathered their stuff to head towards the ice rink in the park. Mimi and Jason listened to Rory and Nick prattle on about the Mythology class that Rory had been taking, and the influence of ancient Greece on nearly every aspect of art, science and politics. Mimi and Jason were definitely not stupid, but sometimes they felt lost when Rory and Nick discussed those kinds of subjects. Aside from her dumb jokes and their constant bickering, they were both too intelligent for their own good. Mimi and Jason preferred to stick to simpler subjects, seeing as how they weren't quite as well-read as their roommates.
They reached the rink to rent their skates, quickly storing their belongs and tying them on. Mimi was the first to hit the ice and she waited patiently for Jason to join her. She shivered slightly in the cold November air, and began rubbing her bare hands together for warmth. Jason hobbled over from his bench and looked at her with concern.
"Are you cold?"
"I... I forgot my gloves. That's all."
Jason nodded and grinned slightly. He reached in his coat pocket and pulled out her winter gloves. "Then it's a good thing that I grabbed them off the table for you."
Mimi took them and quickly slid her hands into them. She looked up at Jason with a smile of surprise. "You brought them for me?"
"Only because I knew you'd forget."
Mimi sighed softly and took his hand, leading him on to the ice. Jason would never be one for grand romantic gestures, but she realized she didn't need them. Something as simple as remembering to bring her gloves because Mimi was generally absentminded and forgetful, was more romantic than any gesture you'd read about in a romance novel. It wasn't a dozen roses, it meant so much more than that.
She noticed that Jason wasn't exactly the king of the ice, and she couldn't help laughing at him. "Jase... Having problems?"
He stumbled slightly and then straightened himself up. "Nope, I'm fine. I'm just... skating was never my strong suit."
Mimi smirked and nodded in agreement. "Obviously..."
She skated backwards so she could look into his eyes, holding on to both of his hands and leading him slowly around the rink. Jason grinned at her proudly. "But you have had a little practice, haven't you, Lockhart?"
"Mmm-hmmmmm... Belle's parents used to take us out here all the time when we were kids. We'd pretend to be Katarina Witt or Kristi Yamaguchi. I'm not ready to do a triple salchow anytime soon, but I know my way around the ice."
Jason pointed behind her at Rory and Nick. "You're not the only one."
Mimi turned her head and nearly fell over with laughter. If there was one thing Rory loved to do, it was dance, and strapping on a pair of ice skates would not stop her. She was leading Nick by the hands around the ice, singing the same song she had sung in the kitchen, and for lack of a better word, shaking her groove thing. Nick was laughing and smiling at her, and despite himself, dancing along with her. The rest of the skaters on the rink were staring at them like they were on drugs.
Mimi laughed and turned back to Jason. "It's like... Only Rory knows how to bring out every side to Nick's mysterious personality. He only smiles like that around her."
Jason nodded in agreement. If there was one person who could take the most credit for bringing Nick out of his shell, it would be Rory. Whether she was making him laugh, arguing with him, or having an intellectual discussion, Nick showed sides to her that he never showed to Jason or Mimi. "I just wish they'd give it up, and admit they want to go out with each other."
Mimi sighed softly and nodded. "I know... But, Nick has this thing where's he never asked a girl out before, he's always been the askee, not the asker. And, Rory... well, she's just oblivious to his feelings for her. Maybe *we* should do something to change that. Payback for what they did to us?'
"Not a bad idea. But, I kind of want to focus on something else at this very moment."
Mimi looked at him curiously and Jason winked at her. He pulled her close and gave her a long deep kiss. She wasn't embarrassed at all to be kissed in front of a rink full of strangers, especially when that kiss came from Jason. Mimi broke away from him breathlessly, her green eyes twinkling mischievously.
"So... what was it you want to focus on?"
"You."
Mimi nodded in understanding and dashed off across the ice, shouting to Jason who stood still behind her. "YOU'LL HAVE TO CATCH ME FIRST MASTERS!"
She giggled as she glided quickly across the ice, knowing that Jason was trying his best to chase her despite his complete lack of skill on the ice.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Later that Night)
Mimi finished brushing her teeth and padded across the wood floors of the Masters house in her pajamas. She reached the spare room she had slept in the night before and was surprised to see Jason sitting on the edge of her bed in his boxers and t-shirt. He seemed to be lost in thought, barely noticing that she had entered.
Mimi sat down next to him with a sigh. "Jason... What's up?"
He kept his eyes on the floor and spoke quietly. "I... I need to talk to you."
"Good, because I need to talk to you too."
Jason lifted his head and looked her in the eyes. "You do? What about?"
Mimi bit her lip nervously but didn't answer. "Well... What do you need to talk to me about?"
Jason ran a hand through his blonde hair nervously and took a deep breath in before replying. "Sex... We need to talk about sex."
Mimi nodded, almost smiling with relief. That was exactly what she wanted to talk about. Jason took her hand and continued with a smile on his face. "Mimi... I was thinking about what happened yesterday in the kitchen... And, how we just sort of started this thing between us off on the like the setting that's the one right before the hottest setting. And... Maybe we should have started out on low."
Mimi smiled back at him and spoke her own thoughts. "I think I see what you mean. I mean, yeah, we've known each other for like thirteen years, but that doesn't mean we should just be hopping into bed together. Not that I wouldn't want to... with you... you know. Because, I would. I *totally* would. But... I can't. Not yet. But, I will someday... and I want to do that with you. Only you. But, having not done it before... and you not having done it before... we should wait until we are ready. It's a big deal... and I don't want to rush. Do you?"
Mimi realized she was rambling and cringed. Jason laughed at her and put his finger over her lips to stop her. She was absolutely beautiful when she was stumbling over her own thoughts. "Meems... You know, most of that actually made sense to me. Either I've been around you long enough to translate your ramblings, or it's exactly what I wanted to say. I care about you so much, and I have never felt this way for anyone. I never thought I *could* feel this way. I don't our relationship to revolve around the physical aspect... I want it to be more than that. Because, I know it *is* more than that."
Mimi smiled and breathed a heavy sigh of relief. "That's what I was trying to say... Only I'm terrible with words, and I sound like an idiot when I do that. But, I do agree... We're both still working on so many issues within ourselves right now, and I just think that bringing our relationship to that level right now... Well, it might not be a good idea."
Jason nodded in agreement and pulled her into his arms. "I'm glad we agree then... The last thing I want to do is hurt you, and if we don't slow it down, then I'm afraid that's what I would end up doing."
Mimi sighed softly, her head resting on his shoulder. She could hardly believe it, Jason had truly changed. He was concerned more with hurting her than anything else, and it was just another step in the journey towards the day when she could give him her complete trust. The day when she could give him everything she had, her heart, soul and her body without worrying that that he was going to hurt or, or that she would hurt him.
She lifted her head and grinned lasciviously at him. "You know, Jase... There are plenty of other things we can do together without having sex..."
Jason grinned back at her and raised his eyebrows. "Would any of those things involve me getting to see that secret tattoo?"
Mimi giggled and shrugged innocently. "It just might. Why don't you kiss me and find out?"
"I certainly won't argue with that request." Jason held her close and kissed her passionately, pulling her down on to the bed with him.
Mimi knew that her body would ache for him severely, and it would be a long wait until the day they could take that next step physically. But, her heart and mind knew that they were doing the right thing by waiting. The wait would only make it that much sweeter when it did happen.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I'm sorry to those who were clamoring for some major NC-17 action. You'll just have to wait patiently. I thought about it, and then decided I just wouldn't feel comfortable with it happening this soon. Especially not with some of the "issues" they still have to work out within themselves.