It's A Small World After All
Pacey found himself in a position that until that moment he'd only been able to dream about. He'd laughed as Joey had spun around beneath the raindrops but lunged to catch her when she had lost her balance. Now he was standing with his arms around Joey Potter's waist… in an alley… in the pouring rain.

Joey laughed even harder and leaned back as far as she could, allowing rain to fall in her mouth. Pacey pulled her back up towards him. She caughthis eye. "Pacey."

It happened so quickly. One minute she was drinking rain the next minute her lips were on his. The way she had looked at him so intently. The way she had breathed his name, rather than said it. The way she looked as raindrops soaked her hair. Pacey wanted that kiss so badly. He needed it to stop even more.

"Joey. We can't do this right now. You're not thinking straight."

"Don't tell me what I can and cannot do," she said angrily before she kissed him again. "I know what I'm doing."

"Joey --."

She silenced him, "Let's go home Pacey, we're getting soaked."

***

Pacey leaned against the wall of the elevator, tipped his head back and closed his eyes. He was waiting for Joey to press the button for the third floor. She was humming quietly as she searched the panel.

He heard the doors close and felt them being moved upward. He could barely comprehend what had happened in the previous 15 minutes. From the moment they left the alley Joey hadn't said a word. During the car ride home she had stared out the passenger side window quietly and hummed to herself. It was driving him crazy because he couldn't recognize the song.

When he had tried to help her up the steps to the dorm she had refused him with out a word and made it to the doors on her own.

Now in the elevator Pacey sensed her standing beside him. "Joey --," he began again, he needed to figure out what was happening.

She put her hand over his mouth and repeated the same words as before, "I know what I'm doing." She sounded as though she was trying to reassure herself as well as Pacey.

The doors opened and they stepped off the elevator. Joey glanced down the hall where her room was and then in the opposite direction towards Pacey's, as though she was judging the distance. "Let's go to your room," she began walking.

"Joey hold on a second. We need to talk."

"About what?" she asked quietly as she leaned against the wall beside Pacey's door.

"About what happened back in the alley," he said not making any efforts to open the door.

"Oh that," Joey closed her eyes as though she was deep in thought. "Can we please go inside Pacey I'm freezing."

He was suddenly aware of how uncomfortable he was in his wet clothes.

He fished out his keys and unlocked the door. Joey walked in and closed the door behind her. She crossed the room and slumped on to Pacey's desk chair.

Pacey went in to auto-pilot. He handed Joey a pair of sweatpants and a large sweatshirt. Then he grabbed his hospital pants and another sweatshirt and left the room. He changed in the men's' room; half because he figured that Joey wouldn't make it to the ladies' and because he needed to splash some cold water on his face in hopes that it would bring him back to life.

Pacey stared at himself in one of the mirrors. "Oh God don't let me regret this in the morning." He looked like death warmed over. When had everything changed so suddenly? How? What did the kiss in the alley mean? Sure Joey was drunk, but she said she knew what she was doing. "I need a drink," he told his reflection.

He jogged down the hall back to his room. Joey's wet clothes were in a pile on the floor. She was sitting on the chair again waiting for him, now dressed in the dry sweats he had given her. Pacey didn't say anything, instead he opened the mini fridge beside Bryan's bed and took out a beer.

Joey stayed at her place beside the desk and watched as Pacey downed the beer in record time. "You'll make yourself sick."

"Well I'd rather be drunk than sober right now."

"What is the matter? So I kissed you!"

"That's right, you kissed me."

Joey stood up quickly, "Give me that," she said as she took the can of beer from Pacey and took a swig. "It's not the end of the world."

"But it could've been. That can seriously mess things up right now." He angrily opened another can, "What are we Joey?"

"I don't understand the question."

"Friends don't kiss, not the way we kissed."

"Do you regret it?" Pacey was unable to answer her. She asked him again, "Do you regret it?"

"I don't think it was the right time. You're drunk --."

"We've already established that but I still know what's happening to me Pacey." She stomped her foot, "Answer my question. Do you regret it?"

He gulped down another can of beer. "NO!" he shouted.

"Thank you!" Joey stepped towards him and kissed him again hard on the mouth. Pacey was taken by surprise and was barely able to respond.

"Stay here tonight," Pacey said breathily as he broke the kiss.

"We can't--."

"No, not that. You can take Bryan's bed if you want. Just don't leave this room."