Kim slowly pulled out of the kiss and gazed at Jimmy who was still reeling
from the moment that they had just shared.
"Kim, does this mean...", he said, finally snapping out of it.
But before he could even finish his sentence, Kim looked at him seriously and whispered, "Jimmy, we need to talk."
She took his hand softly into hers and guided him back into her apartment and out of the rain. The two entered the apartment quietly, making sure not to wake Joey. Kim headed for the bathroom and Jimmy followed close behind. When she turned around to hand him a towel, she felt her heart pounding again. Jimmy was within arms reach and there was something so incredibly attractive about him standing there with his clothes thoroughly soaked, clinging to his body. He had taken off his jacket somewhere along the way to the bathroom, leaving him with his white t-shirt on, equally drenched, which appeared all the more alluring to Kim.
"God, why does he always have this effect on me?", Kim thought to herself, trying to shake the distracting thoughts off before it clouded her mind and lead her to do something irrational. She had always had this soft spot for Jimmy, but she knew that their feelings for each other were much deeper than just physical attraction. They've been through thick and thin together, and it was this deep connection that formed that Kim wanted so much to preserve.
Kim finally summoned enough courage to look back up at Jimmy and saw a smirk on his face. He knew he was torturing her. He watched her as she continued to fidget around and virtually refuse eye contact with him. He knew the kind of effect he had on her, and he couldn't help it. It wasn't as if he was doing it on purpose. Not now. No, they had much more serious things to discuss.
"Come on, Jimmy", she said crossly as she pushed her way out of the bathroom and into her bedroom to change.
She knew fully well that he was taking pleasure at her discomfort. That was one of the annoying things that Jimmy did. Kim's reaction only egged him on, building his confidence in knowing that Kim still felt strongly for him.
Jimmy sat at the edge of Joey's bed, lightly stroking his hair. A small smile came across his face at the sight of his son sleeping so peacefully.
"I hope you never grow up. But just incase you do, don't make the same mistakes your old man made", he sighed.
Kim came out of her bedroom minutes later to find Jimmy already seated on the couch in the living room. He was hunched over, his elbows resting on his knees, deep in thought. She walked over to him, putting her hand on his bare shoulder, realizing that the only thing covering Jimmy was the yellow towel wrapped around his waist. Kim sat down beside him and for a while, they shared nothing but the silence between them. They had so much they wanted to say to each other, but didn't know how to say it. They were never really good with words; more often than not, their actions would speak for them. But not tonight, tonight they both wanted to maintain their civility and try to talk this out.
"Kim...what's it going to take for us to finally be together?", Jimmy asked, breaking the deafening silence.
"I don't know. I want so much for this to work between us, and for Joey, but every time I'm ready for the next big step, I can't help but think that I'm going to loose you to your job. It's a risk I'm not sure I could take Jimmy", she said hesitantly. "You could be here with me and Joey one day, and the next..." Kim started to break down at the thought of Jimmy not being around in her life.
"Shhh...", Jimmy whispered as he took her into his arms and gently kissed the top of her head. "I'm not going anywhere...everything's going to be fine. I promise you Kimmy, everything will work out", he reassured her.
"How Jimmy?", she snapped. "We're always going to be like this...I know you've changed for me, but I can't continue to grow close to you, only to have you taken away from me. Everyday is a fight for me. I'm torn between loving you and keeping you away from me. I just can't go on like this... it hurts too much", Kim said, forcing the words out.
He knew well what she was talking about, but refused to talk about it. He couldn't imagine living his life not being a firefighter, but he also didn't want to live a life without Kim and Joey. They've been apart long enough.
"I want us to be a real family Kim. Believe me when I say that", he pleaded with her.
With that, Jimmy got up and walked toward the bathroom where he fished his clothes out from the dryer and put it back on. Kim's eyes followed him, watching his every movement, unsure of what was happening.
"You're leaving", Kim said stoically.
Jimmy lowered his head and nodded. "Yeah...I need some time to think".
He reached his hand out to turn the doorknob when suddenly he turned around, and seemingly out of nowhere asked Kim, "Will you go with me to the Firefighter's Ball?"
"Jimmy...", she said, sounding annoyed.
"Just say yes Kimmy", he flashed her that smile of his that made her give in.
Kim couldn't help but smile at him too, "Sure Jimmy, I'll go".
Jimmy left the apartment and got on his motorcycle. A part of him wanted to stay up there with Kim, but he knew better than that. He wanted to give her some time, and he needed time to himself to think about their future. He looked up at Kim's window once more before leaving.
His smile slowly faded as he began to make his way back to his apartment.
"I love my job, but I also love Kim", he thought to himself. Deep inside, Jimmy knew the decision he had to make.
To be continued...
"Kim, does this mean...", he said, finally snapping out of it.
But before he could even finish his sentence, Kim looked at him seriously and whispered, "Jimmy, we need to talk."
She took his hand softly into hers and guided him back into her apartment and out of the rain. The two entered the apartment quietly, making sure not to wake Joey. Kim headed for the bathroom and Jimmy followed close behind. When she turned around to hand him a towel, she felt her heart pounding again. Jimmy was within arms reach and there was something so incredibly attractive about him standing there with his clothes thoroughly soaked, clinging to his body. He had taken off his jacket somewhere along the way to the bathroom, leaving him with his white t-shirt on, equally drenched, which appeared all the more alluring to Kim.
"God, why does he always have this effect on me?", Kim thought to herself, trying to shake the distracting thoughts off before it clouded her mind and lead her to do something irrational. She had always had this soft spot for Jimmy, but she knew that their feelings for each other were much deeper than just physical attraction. They've been through thick and thin together, and it was this deep connection that formed that Kim wanted so much to preserve.
Kim finally summoned enough courage to look back up at Jimmy and saw a smirk on his face. He knew he was torturing her. He watched her as she continued to fidget around and virtually refuse eye contact with him. He knew the kind of effect he had on her, and he couldn't help it. It wasn't as if he was doing it on purpose. Not now. No, they had much more serious things to discuss.
"Come on, Jimmy", she said crossly as she pushed her way out of the bathroom and into her bedroom to change.
She knew fully well that he was taking pleasure at her discomfort. That was one of the annoying things that Jimmy did. Kim's reaction only egged him on, building his confidence in knowing that Kim still felt strongly for him.
Jimmy sat at the edge of Joey's bed, lightly stroking his hair. A small smile came across his face at the sight of his son sleeping so peacefully.
"I hope you never grow up. But just incase you do, don't make the same mistakes your old man made", he sighed.
Kim came out of her bedroom minutes later to find Jimmy already seated on the couch in the living room. He was hunched over, his elbows resting on his knees, deep in thought. She walked over to him, putting her hand on his bare shoulder, realizing that the only thing covering Jimmy was the yellow towel wrapped around his waist. Kim sat down beside him and for a while, they shared nothing but the silence between them. They had so much they wanted to say to each other, but didn't know how to say it. They were never really good with words; more often than not, their actions would speak for them. But not tonight, tonight they both wanted to maintain their civility and try to talk this out.
"Kim...what's it going to take for us to finally be together?", Jimmy asked, breaking the deafening silence.
"I don't know. I want so much for this to work between us, and for Joey, but every time I'm ready for the next big step, I can't help but think that I'm going to loose you to your job. It's a risk I'm not sure I could take Jimmy", she said hesitantly. "You could be here with me and Joey one day, and the next..." Kim started to break down at the thought of Jimmy not being around in her life.
"Shhh...", Jimmy whispered as he took her into his arms and gently kissed the top of her head. "I'm not going anywhere...everything's going to be fine. I promise you Kimmy, everything will work out", he reassured her.
"How Jimmy?", she snapped. "We're always going to be like this...I know you've changed for me, but I can't continue to grow close to you, only to have you taken away from me. Everyday is a fight for me. I'm torn between loving you and keeping you away from me. I just can't go on like this... it hurts too much", Kim said, forcing the words out.
He knew well what she was talking about, but refused to talk about it. He couldn't imagine living his life not being a firefighter, but he also didn't want to live a life without Kim and Joey. They've been apart long enough.
"I want us to be a real family Kim. Believe me when I say that", he pleaded with her.
With that, Jimmy got up and walked toward the bathroom where he fished his clothes out from the dryer and put it back on. Kim's eyes followed him, watching his every movement, unsure of what was happening.
"You're leaving", Kim said stoically.
Jimmy lowered his head and nodded. "Yeah...I need some time to think".
He reached his hand out to turn the doorknob when suddenly he turned around, and seemingly out of nowhere asked Kim, "Will you go with me to the Firefighter's Ball?"
"Jimmy...", she said, sounding annoyed.
"Just say yes Kimmy", he flashed her that smile of his that made her give in.
Kim couldn't help but smile at him too, "Sure Jimmy, I'll go".
Jimmy left the apartment and got on his motorcycle. A part of him wanted to stay up there with Kim, but he knew better than that. He wanted to give her some time, and he needed time to himself to think about their future. He looked up at Kim's window once more before leaving.
His smile slowly faded as he began to make his way back to his apartment.
"I love my job, but I also love Kim", he thought to himself. Deep inside, Jimmy knew the decision he had to make.
To be continued...