"I plan on writing 5 or 6 chapters" I said on the first chapter lmao I tend to get too excited about my stories and I always overwrite, always. I have some fun chapters planned ahead but will Peach have 10 chapters or 100? Who knows. I certainly don't (I kinda do though but let's say I don't). Anyways, thanks everyone who left reviews, I replied each one of you, and thanks for still reading Peach. Until next chapter!
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7. Smell
"Hey Nick"
"Yeah?"
"Did I leave my lyrics book in there? I can't find it here and I've searched everywhere!"
"It's in my bedroom, you forgot it there yesterday when you needed to make a call."
"Oh, right. Just a sec."
This has been happening a lot between 4C and 4D: the guys and Jess hung out at each other's place almost every day, so occasionally someone left their wallet or keys behind. On one hand Schmidt forgot his phone only once on Jess's coffee table at the living room but it never happened again since he was really careful with his own stuff, on the other Winston or Nick left a hoodie or their copy of the loft's key at her apartment all the time. It was basically "if it's not here, then it's at Jess's / at the guys's".
Nick had stopped by Jess's to have her opinion on the novel he was writing and ended up leaving his black hoodie on the couch. He realized it happened when he was already back in his room ready to go to sleep, but honestly, he didn't care: Nick knew it was there so he could take it back the next day. Plus, he owned like a hundred hoodies so he sure wouldn't run out of them if one was not in his closet. Jess, though, had run out of pajamas: she pulled open her closet's door that night and noticed she unintentionally had put them all in the dirty clothes basket for laundry . Cursing herself for having forgotten to leave at least one clean so she could use it to sleep in, Jess walked out of her bedroom toward the laundry room to take one shirt out of the basket. When she was crossing the living room, her eyes caught sight of the hoodie laying there on the couch, looking cozy - and most important, clean.
"Nick won't mind, right?" Jess said to herself, holding the hoodie in her hands. Shrugging, she slid her arms into the sleeves and zipped it closed - she literally sighed in satisfaction as the sweatshirt fell perfectly on her body and the smell filled the air around her: a mixture of old spice, downy powder and natural Nick scent (something she instantaneously made up in her head but that actually existed). Jess never really noticed how good Nick smelled so she sniffed the fabric one more time and involuntarily smiled. It was good. Really good.
Days went by and Nick never asked for the hoodie back. Jess even thought about mentioning it to him again to check if maybe he was missing it, but she hesitated every time she tried: who would want to return such a good pajama like that hoodie? It was comfy, warm and it smelled like a man. Perfect.
"It's like Nick's your boyfriend but he doesn't know it" Cece chuckled one night, when she came over and Jess was changing into the hoodie and a pair of shorts.
"Ugh, I know, but I don't even have to wear a shirt underneath it. And here, smell it" Jess leaned towards Cece so she could smell the the hood and the hems of the sweatshirt. She scrunched up her nose a little and pointed at Jess.
"Old spice and what, one week it's not been washed?"
Jess blushed and did not reply. Reality slowly came crashing in and Cece's mouth formed a big "O".
"No!"
"What?"
"Oh my God"
"What?"
"You didn't wash it so the smell don't go away! It's not only about comfort!"
"Cece, this is ridiculous..."
"You like Nick."
"I don't."
"You do."
"It's not that, okay? Just because I like a certain smell that happens to come from a certain person it doesn't mea-... Did you hear that?"
Cece raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
"Someone knocked on the door, I think." Jess zipped the hoodie and turned around to walk out the room "This conversation is not over!"
"You bet it's not!" Cece called out as Jess made her way to the hall. When she turned the knob and pushed the door open, her eyes widened instantaneously.
"Hey Jess, do you have... Oh." Nick paused when he saw what Jess was wearing. She noticed his adam's apple moving up and down in his throat when staring at the old black hoodie and wondered if she was about to get into too much trouble. When Nick kept silent, Jess spoke:
"You used to call me before coming over, Miller."
He shook his head as if trying to come back to reality.
"Yeah, I, hm... I did. Three times. You didn't pick it up."
Jess sighed, annoyed with herself. She must have forgotten her phone on silent mode after leaving school that afternoon and clearly that's why Cece was so mad when she got there and asked "Don't you have a phone?". Scrunching up her nose, she said:
"Sorry, I guess I didn't hear it."
"It's fine."
"I will...hm, make sure to check my calls... later." Jess replied, already feeling her cheeks growing red. She was completely aware of the fact that Nick was seeing her in a hoodie and pajama shorts AND, to top it off, that he knew the hoodie was his. He cleared his throat and nodded to her clothes.
"So, my hoodie?"
"Your hoodie."
He smiled.
"You look nice in it."
Jess's first instinct was to giggle like she always did when someone complimented her and run away back to her room, but then she remembered Cece was there and she would have to come back and talk to Nick anyway. Also, it wasn't a bad situation since he wasn't making that stupid/cute turtle face of his - he was smiling shyly and Jess was pretty sure she melted inside a bit while staring at his face. Shoving her hands in the pockets and returning his smile, she said:
" Thanks, Nick." and then she quickly explained "I was going to give it back to you but I always forgot and you didn't mention anything about it, so..."
"No, it's cool" he waved it off "I have so many that I didn't miss it. You can, uhm, keep it. If you want it, of course."
Jess's eyes widened.
"Really?"
"Yeah."
A big smile cracked on her face and she stood on her tiptoes to give him a kiss on the cheek.
"You're the best."
"I know."
"Shut up." She smacked him playfully and he chuckled. An apron-clad Schmidt stepped out 4D's door on the other side of the hall and yelled.
"Nicholas, have you forgotten about your mission or what?!"
"Damnit" Nick whispered under his breath and turned to Schmidt "Can't you give me 5 seconds?!"
"My Peach and Vanilla pie cannot give you five seconds! And is that..." Schmidt's eyes widened and he pushed his neck back in a 'No way!' move "Is that your hoodie that Jess's wearing?! You never let anyone touch your hoodies!"
Nick ignored Schmidt and turned to face Jess.
"I almost forgot, Schmidt wanted me to check if you have vanilla sugar."
"Oh I actually do, just wait here a sec."
As Jess walked into her apartment to get the sugar, Cece stuck her head out the front door, glancing between Nick and Schmidt.
"What's going on here?"
"Oh hey, Cece!" Schmidt basically ran across the hall towards 4C's door "How have you been? Feeling good? Wanna come over and try my Peach and Vanilla puff pastry pie? I got the recipe from Oprah's site."
"Get lost, Schmidt."
"Only if it's with you, you beautiful goddess."
As Schmidt and Cece did some flirtatious/agressive mingling, Nick peeked a look inside and saw Jess coming back holding a cup of sugar in her hands. She flashed him a subtle but sweet smile and when he smiled back, she had to look down at her feet to hide her way too excited face. She cleared her throat to interrupt Cece and Schmidt and handed Schmidt the cup of sugar.
"Here's your vanilla sugar, sir."
"Thank you, Jessica." He paused and scanned the hoodie. Throwing an incredulous glance at his best friend, he said "Seriously, Winston was going to wash some of these things for you last week and you didn't even let him get them out of your laundry basket."
"But WHY? Those were my hoodies, I should wash them, I know how to wash them!"
The guys walked back to their apartment after waving goodbye to the girls, arguing about petty things between themselves until they closed the door. Cece and Jess stood in the doorway with their arms crossed, and when Cece realized Jess still had her eyes on 4D's door, she giggled.
"What?" Jess asked, looking at her best friend.
"You've got it bad."
"Cece."
"Baaaaaad."
"Ugh, can't you forget about this?"
"So bad." Cece paced back to Jess's room, still giggling. Jess rolled her eyes, but did not close the door before giving one last glance at 4D.
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N/A: The Peach and Vanilla puff pastry pie was really found on Oprah's site on a list named "Sexy Vanilla Recipes". I just had to use it with Schmidt.
