AN - sorry for not updating sooner, have had a bugger of a week but hopefully its calmed down now.
"Guys I'm gonna order the pizzas what do we want?" Charlie yelled across the room.
Julie was reminded of old times in the Eden Hall common room on a Saturday night.
A million and one answers were shouted back at him.
"Okay so same as always?" Charlie asked cheekily.
"YES!" everyone cried.
Charlie shot Fulton a knowing look before retreating back into the kitchen to use the phone.
Julie used the time to take a good look at Dean Portman. He hadn't really changed all that much in eight years.
He was a little taller, his hair a little longer and his face a little harder and more manlike but he still looked like the same Dean Portman Julie had thought was hot in high school.
Dean caught Julie's eye and smiled briefly before looking away again. Julie could feel herself blushing.
"Guys the pizza delivery guy called in sick so we're gonna have to go get it ourselves" Charlie came back into the lounge room and feigned a inconvenienced look.
"Awww" the Ducks groaned.
"I'll go" Dean volunteered.
Fulton and Charlie nearly fell over. This plan was going better than expected.
"Julie you should go with him" Connie urged with a sly grin.
I'm gonna kill her later Julie vowed.
"Okay" Julie tried to sound non-committal.
"Great well that's settled" Charlie looked smug.
A little too smug Julie thought.
Charlie handed Julie some money not taking no for an answer when Julie tried to hand it back.
"Take it Jules, buy some booze with it" Charlie told her sternly.
Julie gave him the finger.
"Ouch!" Dean commented and the pair laughed freely for the first time since being back in each other's presence.
"Come on lets go" Julie tugged on Dean's sleeve.
"Yeah you'd better run Gaffney" Charlie called after them
.
"Charlie remember when I told you that one day I'd kill you in your sleep" Julie asked.
"Yeah"
"Well I wasn't joking" Julie added sweetly.
"Sure Gaffney" Charlie rolled his eyes remembering the day she'd threatened that after an hour too long of constant ribbing about Dean.
"Remind me never to piss you off" Dean said as the pair entered the outside world.
"Oh I wouldn't kill you, just Charlie" Julie replied feeling the same degree of nervousness she'd felt earlier return.
"Good" Dean responded also feeling his earlier nervousness returning.
The pair walked on in silence, Julie silently killing Connie for making her wear these shoes that were now killing her feet and Portman trying his hardest to come up with something cool and witty to say.
"So how've you been?" Dean broke the silence.
"Good how about you?"
"Yeah doing okay"
Way to go Gaffney, give him short answers to make him think you're not interested. Could I be any lamer? Julie thought to herself.
They fell into an uncomfortable silence again.
"So what do you do?" Dean tried again.
"I'm a lawyer, prosecutor. I like putting away scum for life" Julie answered.
"Wow, I always knew you'd do well" Dean complimented her.
"What about you?"
"Builder, I'm a contractor at the moment but I'm hoping to start my own company soon" Dean confessed.
"That's great, that's what you always wanted to do. I'm so proud of you" Julie gushed giving Dean an honest smile.
"Thanks, I'm proud of you too Catlady" Dean returned her smile.
Julie blushed feeling giddy that he was now giving her the 'look' that he used to give her in high school.
Dean couldn't bring himself to break eye contact with her as they walked along the street. Julie also kept her eyes on him until her footsteps caused her shoes to land awkwardly and she felt herself falling over.
Damn it not now! She cursed feeling her blush deepen as she struggled to maintain her composure.
She nearly lost it when Dean reached out and grabbed her around the waist using both hands to steady her.
"Are you okay?" he asked concerned. One hand was still around her waist and the other was on her shoulder.
"Stupid fucking shoes!" Julie yelled angrily yanking them off and stepping on to the sidewalk barefooted.
Portman suppressed a smile.
"Don't you laugh at me Dean!" Julie told him.
Dean couldn't help himself. He was reminded too much of the old times. He threw his head back and burst into laughter.
Julie glared at him for about three seconds before she too saw the funny side of things and started laughing along with him.
FLASHBACK
"Dean stop it!"
"Its this stuff you have to put in it Jules"
"No its not! You'll blow up the whole science lab!"
"Will not"
"Will too"
"I'm gonna drop it in Julie"
"NO!"
"You'll be thanking me when we get an A"
"Dean, I'm telling you, don't!"
"DEAN!"
"What's that smell?"
"Probably Goldberg, oh um why is that bubbling?"
"Dean you idiot!"
"Duck and cover its gonna blow!"
SMALLISH EXPLOSION AS THEIR SCIENCE PROJECT EXPLODES ALL OVER THEM
"Hey Jules you've got something in your hair"
"Very funny Dean"
"Here I'll get it"
"DON'T, TOUCH, ME"
Portman starts laughing.
"Stop laughing Dean this is serious"
"I can't help it, you look cute in pink goo"
"Shut up"
"Make me"
"MR PORTMAN, MISS GAFFNEY TO DEAN BUCKLEY'S OFFICE NOW!"
Dean and Julie turn to see their science teacher also covered in pink goo.
A drop falls from the ceiling and lands on the teacher's nose.
Julie and Dean both burst out laughing.
"GET OUT!"
END FLASHBACK
"Did you just feel that?" Julie asked Portman.
"Feel what?"
"I think its starting to rain"
"Are you serious?"
"No Dean I'm kidding, of course I'm serious!"
"Hey you're the one feeling imaginary raindrops"
It starts to pour
"Imaginary huh?" Julie laughs as Dean starts frantically trying to find some shelter.
"Yeah alright, lets get out of the rain" Dean tried to make a run for it.
Julie on the other hand slowed down purposely allowing herself to get soaked.
"What are you doing?" Dean yelled.
"Being a kid again" Julie explained with the mischievous grin that had often gotten the Ducks into trouble back at Eden Hall.
"Come on you chicken!" Julie goaded running across the street to the park on the other side.
Dean watched her in amazement as Julie splashed in numerous puddles, laughing hysterically at herself whilst doing so. He was witnessing a guarded woman letting her inhibitions go.
He was witnessing Julie Gaffney at her most revealing moment.
He took a deep breath.
"I must be crazy" he muttered under his breath as he ran across the street after her.
"About friggin time!" Julie teased pushing him into a puddle before running off.
"You'll pay for that Gaffney" Dean warned chasing after her.
She shrieked and cackled as he caught up with her, grabbing her around the waist from behind and lifting her up to spin her around.
He let her down and she turned to face him.
His breath caught in his throat as his eyes travelled downwards noticing that the slinky satin top she was wearing was now stuck to her body, revealing every curve and contour.
He brought his eyes up to meet hers feeling that excitement whenever she looked at him the way she was now.
He reached out and pushed a wet strand of hair out of her face.
Julie closed her eyes, savouring his touch.
God how I've dreamed about this. She thought happily.
She slowly opened her eyes ready for the kiss that had taken almost ten years to happen.
She ran her hands up his arms feeling every curve of his toned biceps as she rested her hands on them.
Feeling Dean's hands snake even further around her waist she stepped in to him a little further reaching her head upwards until their mouths were just inches apart.
RING! RING!
An obnoxiously intrusive sound came from Dean's shirt pocket.
Julie tried to hide her disappointment as he mumbled an apology to her and explained it was Goldberg.
"Goldie what?" Dean answered gruffly.
"We wouldn't want that would we" he said dryly.
"Yeah alright we'll be back soon" Dean grumpily hung up the phone.
"Let me guess he's about to die of starvation if we don't get back to Casey's with the pizza" Julie said.
"How'd you guess" Dean answered in the same tone of grumpiness.
"Come on then" Julie turned to leave before Dean could see her disappointment at another chance ruined.
Dean shrugged and followed her making a mental note to kill Goldberg in his sleep.