Abed wasn't in the study room. He wasn't on the quad. He wasn't in the video editing lab. Increasingly desperate, Annie's steps quickened until she was jogging when she hit the cafeteria doors. She looked around, failing to see his slim form in line or at any of the tables. She grabbed Leonard as he passed, "Have you seen Abed?" She demanded.

The old man jumped and then shrugged, "He was headed toward the library-"

"When?!"

"Five minutes ago."

Wait! What time was it? Annie glanced down at her watch and saw that study group was set to start in twenty minutes. Abed always liked to be early.

Releasing Leonard, Annie turned and sprinted toward the door.

Leonard called after her, "They have these things now called cell phones! Useful for finding people-" But she was long gone.

Please, be here. Please, Annie thought as she skidded through the library doors.

He wasn't in the stacks but there- She caught sight of him, as he gripped the study room door handle and disappeared inside. A sharp pain punched her in her side. She ignored the cramp, walking just slow enough to keep the librarian from scolding her.

Flying through the door, she caught him just as he was settling his messenger bag on the floor.

"There is no Bruce Underjaw," she panted, gripping him by the sleeve in case he tried to run away again.

He blinked and then tilted his head, "I know."

"No," She disagreed, trying desperately to catch her breath. I need to do more cardio, Annie thought. "Just give me a minute-"

He nodded, staring down at her with a slight wrinkle between his brows.

After a moment she straightened, still holding him by the arm.

"Annie-"

"Just let me get this out. Please." She tried to order her thoughts into something comprehensible,"I'm not- I'm not good at letting people in. So, I help. I find ways to make people need me. I- hold on." She released his sleeve with a self conscious flutter of her hand, "But I know I don't like showing people things about myself. Being vulnerable." She felt her eyes begin to water but she looked up into his face anyway. Desperate to make him feel the truth of her confession, "You were trying to get to know me better. And I think you wanted me to know you better, too."

He said softly, glancing away, "I wanted to be closer to you."

"You did?" She whispered, "But why?"

He was so still it was hard to believe he was breathing, "Isn't it obvious?"

". . . no?"

She could only see half of his face, but she saw the corner of his mouth turn down into a frown and he pointed one finger emphatically at the floor, "This isn't how I plotted this out but-" He turned toward her, sweeping her up into his arms and pressing his mouth to hers.

For the first three seconds Annie was frozen. Abed pulled her close, his grip gentle but strong, so that they were pressed against each other at chest and stomach and thigh. His lips on her lips were soft, barely there, like the memory of a kiss. This close, he smelled like mint and cloves.

What was happening? What was happening?

When she didn't respond, he started to pull away. Then the circle of his arms broke and she made a panicked sound- No!

Wrapping her arms around his neck, Annie pulled Abed back toward her. Their lips met again, firmer this time and a feeling like warm honey bloomed inside of her. It started low in her stomach and spread outward, until she felt the heat of it flowing through her veins. More. She wanted more. Opening her mouth, Annie let her tongue slide over his bottom lip.

Suddenly, she found herself pushed backward, and hoisted up onto the study room table. A surprised breath of air hardly had time to escape her before Abed gripped her waist and tugged her to him. His mouth was hungry this time and insistent. Annie threaded the fingers of her right hand into the soft hair at the nap of his neck. Her left hand gripped his sweater, just above the small of his back. She felt like she was falling. She twinned her legs around his waist and the world seemed to tilt-

"What the hell is going on in here?!" Demanded a voice from the doorway.