Title: I can't Bear Being Away From You
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story.
Summary: Michael attempts to win Jan over as she comes to terms with her feelings for him. Set after the Valentine's episode. Spoilers.
As soon as the elevator doors closed Michael's stunned expression morphed into a full blown grin. He watched the numbers in the elevator descend quickly, taking him further and further away from Jan. His heart was fluttering and all he could think was "I knew it." When he got out onto the bustling streets of the city, the Fiddler On the Roof billboard caught his eye and he suddenly got the urge to click his heels together and jump up and down.
After watching the elevator doors closed, Jan glared at the cameraman gawking at her. She felt a hot blush rush onto her cheeks and she wasn't sure if it was from the tingling memory of Michael's lips touching her own or from the embarrassment that she had once again gotten caught falling for Michael on camera. She walked quickly into her office, shut the door, and pulled the blinds.
Suddenly, the memory of events that took place over the past couple of hours came flooding back to him. Michael had only been in New York since about one o' clock and so much had changed. He almost saw Conan O'Brien, he had visited his favorite New York pizza place, and he single-handedly saved the Dunder Mifflin Scranton branch. Well, technically Craig had single-handedly saved the Scranton branch by completely disregarding the financial presentation for his own branch. Michael had a feeling that the presentation that he had made on his Mac probably won some hearts though. Most importantly though, Jan had kissed him. Again. Jan KISSED him. He was so shocked at the feel of her hand grasping his shoulder and the light smell of her perfume that wafted into his nostrils. When she placed her lips against his he couldn't breathe. His heart stopped. He had felt like a complete loser for making a comment about Jan in front of the guys. In all honesty, he had meant to defend her. He couldn't stand when people made comments about her. He just got carried away. Again. He was honorable and apologetic to her and she must have realized what a sweet guy he was. She saw through his tough exterior. Michael grinned. As he stood there on the sidewalk, only feet away from Times Square, the heart of civilization, he realized that he needed to take drastic measures to win Jan over for good. This wasn't any ordinary day, this was Valentine's day. Suddenly, as if the Valentine's day gods were smiling down upon him he caught sight of red and blue neon lettering. Duane Reade, the pharmacy that could solve all his Valentine's day problems. He darted across the street and stopped dead in his tracks as a flash of yellow taxi cab nearly made him road kill. He glanced over his shoulder to look at the camera, "The yellow ones don't stop…Buddy the Elf."
Jan flopped down into the large leather chair behind her desk . She kicked off her heels and rested her head on the back of the chair. She brought a single hand up to rub a throbbing temple. She couldn't believe that she had kissed Michael in corporate offices, let alone had kissed him again. After the first incident, it was easy to blame her actions on alcohol. Although, she had to admit that every time she denied to Michael that the night had meant anything she felt her heart break and her nose grow just a little bit bigger. All her life she had tried so hard to make something out of her life. She realized that her dreams of moving to the city and becoming someone important only left her lonely. She knows that people think she's a bitch. Somehow along the way she had lost sight of herself. When she looks into the mirror now, she just sees an old lonely woman. As infuriating as Michael is, he had started to chip away at her icy exterior. She found herself making more and more excuses to call him or to go visit the Scranton branch. She knew that the women's seminar wasn't necessary, although corporate did think it was a good idea. Michael's devotion to her and to that night was endearing. Of course she didn't like the fact that he had blurted out details of the night to her bosses, but the fact that it kept coming up made it harder and harder to stay away. She remembered the pure joy she felt that night when Michael grabbed her in a bear hug and leaned in to peck her on the lips. It wasn't exactly professional, but at the time all she could think about was how good it felt to be hugged and to smile. Her ex-husband had barely looked at her the last few months of their marriage. She had told Michael that night about the fact that she had wanted kids and Gould didn't, but she left out some important details like the fact that her husband had at least two other girlfriends that she knew of and the fact that they hadn't slept together in over a year. She was beginning to feel that she had tried so hard not to become someone like Angela, Pam, Phyllis, Kelly, and Meredith that she had rendered herself almost inhuman.
Jan stared at the fake tree in the corner of her office. She couldn't believe she had been so dumb to get all nervous as Michael was leaving. "Happy Valentine's day? What were you thinking?" She pushed Michael away over and over again and like a sad puppy he wouldn't give up. He was making it really hard not to like him. Jan couldn't wait to get out of the office and soak in the tub all night long. Her head throbbed relentlessly.
Michael scoured the nearly empty Valentine's shelves in Duane Reade. He grabbed a large heart-shaped box of chocolates and was headed towards the checkout line when he saw a large red teddy bear holding a heart. He suddenly knew that if he was going to win Jan's heart, this bear would do the trick.