A/N: Still don't own it. Still utterly devoted to tktktk for being a benevolent and kind beta.
Chapter 9
It was nearly noon on Saturday when Jeff finally heard from Craig again. Let the record show it had been well over the implied twenty four hours. Not that he'd been counting the minutes or anything. And because there were no witnesses nobody would ever know how many times he had checked his phone that morning. Or that he'd jumped off the couch and vaulted over the coffee table to run for the front door when he'd heard the knock.
Jeff wrenched open the door in relief but his greeting died on his lips as he saw Craig standing in the hallway wearing a lime green fringed bikini, a blond ponytailed wig, a hot pink sequined visor, hot pink cat eyed sunglasses with rhinestones, and hot pink wedge flip flops. He was holding a tote bag in one hand and had a coordinating beach towel draped across his shoulders. "Well hey there, beach blanket bimbo."
"Good Mor-Dean!" Craig sang out as he sauntered into Jeff's condo. He perched jauntily on one of the barstools, clasped his hands on his crossed legs, and tsked in disapproval as he took in Jeff's appearance. "Jeffrey, look at you! When was the last time you shaved? And there are dark circles under your eyes! Why you look wretched!" He chastised. "This will not do! You, mister, need to get out of your funk!"
"Craig, it's fine." Jeff held up his hands to stop the man from saying anything further. "Did you come up with a plan? I've been thinking too and I think I may have a few ide-"
"Zip it!" Craig interrupted. "You aren't getting a single word out of me until you change from this frumpy zombie back into Jeffrey Winger!
"Oh come on!" Jeff balanced the fine line between derision and begging. "Who cares what I look like?"
The Dean put a hand to his chest dramatically, causing the fringe on his bikini to swing merrily. With his other hand he slid the cat-eye sunglasses down his nose and peered over the tops of them. "Well I don't know who you are, sloppy stranger, but you can just go right back to wherever you came from and return our Jeffrey Winger! Because the Jeffrey I know would NEVER have said something like that!"
Jeff's shoulders drooped and he frowned when he surreptitiously gave himself a test sniff. Flinching, he spoke very quietly. "I'll go clean up but then we talk about Annie."
The Dean shook his head in stern disagreement. "Correction. You go clean up and we go down to the pool and THEN we can talk about Annie." He saw Jeff open his mouth to argue and tried an appeal to his vanity to get the man to do as he was told. "You know I wasn't going to say anything but you're looking a little sallow. It's not a good look on you. I think you could use some sun."
It worked and Jeff held up an arm to inspect it in the low light of his living room. "You may possibly have a point," he begrudgingly admitted. "Fine. We can go down to the pool. But only for an hour. And I expect us to talk about plans while we're there." He demanded.
"Deal!" Craig cheerfully agreed. "No you just go get yourself cleaned up and ready for a little fun in the sun!"
After Jeff had slowly shuffled into the shower Craig quickly tidied up the apartment and ran a load of dishes. Lord, Jeffrey was a pig when he was depressed!
"Abed I'm still not sure why we needed to bring so many bags of ice," Annie complained as she lugged the heavy cooler full of food and drinks out of the clubhouse after they had checked in as guests. "If we need more ice can't we just go up to Craig's place any time we want?" Mentally she added a complaint that she was the one lugging the heavy cooler while he carried their lightweight totes. Rachel was struggling with the light but awkward pool rafts but gamely had a smile on her face.
He didn't look up from his phone as they kept walking. "Doesn't fit the scene we're playing out today. We need to be able to stay at the pool all day in order to maximize our poolside shenanigans." He glanced up at Annie. "It's too bad Troy isn't here. This is right in his wheelhouse." His eyes grew a little sad thinking about their missing friend.
Rachel shared a brief but panicked look with Annie and quickly changed the subject. "So! We have cooler full of both adult and non-adult beverages in aluminum cans for safety, traditional pool party foods, towels, dry clothes, flotation devices, and water guns. Did we forget anything?" She asked.
"You forgot sunscreen but don't worry, I brought plenty," Annie assured her.
"Annie takes proper skin care very seriously," Abed informed Rachel. "She knows that after SPF 45 the diminishing returns on additional coverage render anything higher effectively useless but still buys the SPF 100 just in case. It's one of her quirks."
Annie shrugged a shoulder at Rachel's questioning look. "I had an aunt that got skin cancer because she tanned too much."
The three of them walked down the stairs and stopped to admire the luxurious pool that Craig had reserved for their private party. The large kidney-shaped pool had depth markers that indicated 8ft at the deepest end and just 3ft on the other end where a wide set of stairs led down into it. Arrayed around the surrounding patio were both faux wicker loungers with waterproof fabric cushions and round tables with coordinating chairs. Each table had a cheerful green and pink umbrella to provide shade to those who wanted it. The whole thing was surrounded by a tall brick fence topped with lights fashion to look like old oil lanterns and decorative wrought iron, giving a sense of seclusion and exclusivity.
The water was clean and sparkled invitingly. Beckoning them to jump right in.
Annie gazed at it in wonder. This was far more elegant that the public pools she had swum in as a kid. She raised an eyebrow and snarked, "You know, even if our terrible apartment complex had a pool not only would it be nowhere as nice as this but they probably wouldn't allow people to reserve it for a whole day anyway."
Britta, Shirley, Duncan, and Hickey had already arrived and one of them had brought a set of iPod speakers which were playing what sounded like the Beach Boys. Greetings were made all around as the newcomers were welcomed to the party. Hickey had started the grill and was manning it as if it were his life's purpose. Frequently checking the burgers and hot dogs then making small adjustments to their positions. "To maximize efficiency." He said when asked about it.
Rachel looked around with her eyes squinted against the sun. She slid her sunglasses off of her head and back over her eyes as she asked, "But where is Craig? This is his party isn't it?"
Abed put his phone away and reassured her, "I'm sure he'll be here any minute. In the meantime we should get to the shenanigans." And with that he threw his t-shirt and flip flops aside, snagged one of the water pistols from the pile, and did a cannonball into the deep end of the pool.
Jeff heard music and laughter as he and Craig walked down the stairs that lead to the complex pool. "Sounds like there are other people here already. I hope they're not annoying."
As they got to the bottom of the stairs and rounded the corner those other people at the pool came into view. Jeff came to a full stop and didn't feel Craig run into his back. He was entirely focused on what he saw across the pool.
Annie laughed at Rachel's promises of Abed's impending demise as she untied the belt on her sheer ivory cover-up. She'd been uncertain about how appropriate it would be even as she had admired the creamy lace edging. Now she saw that Britta was right. Everyone would see her bikini as soon as she took off the cover-up anyway. Why did it matter that people could see it under the silky fabric?
She slid the robe off her shoulders and bent to put it in her tote bag next to the clothes she'd brought to change into after they were finished swimming. Sitting on a lounger she pulled a set of hair combs from her bag and deftly pulled her hair up into a quick french twist. Chlorine was so drying and she hoped to at least minimize the damage to her long hair. She had sprayed leave-in conditioner on it before they left as an additional defense against the chlorinated water.
Reaching back into her bag she grabbed her sunscreen to put on another application. She had of course applied thirty minutes ago to allow time for it to absorb into her skin but a little more wouldn't hurt. She thoroughly rubbed the cream into her legs before applying to her bared midriff, the tops of her breasts, her chest, neck, and arms.
Annie turned to ask one of her friends to help her with her back but they were all staring across the pool with identical looks on their faces. They looked like little kids who had run downstairs on Christmas morning and were in awe of the presents. She followed their gaze and her jaw dropped in shock.
Jeff felt his heart drop the minute Annie noticed him. He couldn't see her eyes behind her sunglasses but her body language said everything. This was as much of a surprise to her as it was to him. They'd been ambushed. He didn't know whether to hug Craig or punch him in his victorious little face.
Jeff looked as good as he always did. But far less clothed than usual. Annie devoured his appearance hungrily even as she gasped in shock at seeing him. His dark blue board shorts fit him perfectly and hung just low enough that she could see the beginnings of that little V she had dreamed about more than twice.
She actually salivated as she took in his fit, powerful form. Reaching up she traced her finger across her bottom lip to make sure she wasn't literally drooling.
She was trying to kill him. She was taunting him. She was punishing him. It had to be one of the three.
The Dean broke the tension by stepping out from behind Jeff and greeting everyone merrily. As soon as she saw Craig, Annie figured out exactly what had happened and how. With a gasp of outrage she stood up and stalked over to him with murder in her eyes.
"What is HE doing here?" She demanded of the Dean with an accusatory finger pointed in Jeff's general direction. "Craig, you said he wasn't going to be here!"
"I lied," Craig admitted cheerfully before he looked at her sternly. "The two of you need to talk," he continued in a flatly serious voice. "So go talk."
Annie turned her betrayed and accusing gaze on Jeff and he held his hands up in surrender. "I didn't know any of you would be here!" He swore. "I'm a victim in this ambush as much as you are," he said sincerely. "But he's not wrong. We do need to talk."
Annie turned to where the rest of her friends were watching their interaction intently. There was no getting out of this gracefully. She straightened her shoulders and turned back to the man she had been avoiding. "Fine," she relented. "But not here."
Jeff simply followed silently in her wake as she stalked up the stairs.
The Dean watched her walk away with unconcealed interest. Britta noticed and asked him in confusion, "Umm Craig I didn't think you were into women?"
The Dean was deeply offended. "I appreciate BEAUTY, Britta! I don't discriminate!"
Huh, Britta thought. Suddenly Greendale's quest to be completely inclusive made just a little bit more sense.
Hickey went back to the grill muttering that drama belonged on the television not at the pool and Duncan followed to offer his admittedly amateur help.
Abed and Rachel climbed out of the pool and walked over to where the Dean was standing next to Britta and Shirley. "Good job getting him here. And excellent timing."
Shirley held out a hand. "Wait a minute. Do you mean to tell me the two of you cooked up this whole thing together?" She turned to Abed and Craig in disappointment. "That's not nice. Annie made it clear she wasn't happy with Jeff."
Craig, Rachel, and Britta rolled their eyes at the same time while Abed answered. "They were taking too long. They're both interested in each other. It was a misunderstanding which while amusing, had the potential of taking too long to play out without outside assistance. It was either this or figure out how to lock them in an industrial freezer together. This particular scenario has the highest probability of a successful resolution."
Annie shifted from one foot to the other uncomfortably while Jeff unlocked his door, wishing she'd thought to grab her cover-up or her towel or really anything that would have prevented her from essentially being in her underwear. She was acutely aware that they were mostly unclothed and about to have what was sure to be an uncomfortable conversation. She swept into his apartment and after he had closed and locked the door behind her, turned to face him. They stared at each other awkwardly even as they unconsciously drifted closer to each other.
He noticed that she was attempting to cover herself with her arms and with a fond half-smile he went into his room. He reached into his closet and grabbed the first shirt he touched. Returning to the living room he thrust it at her wordlessly.
She took it with a shy but grateful smile and slipped it over her arms. As she buttoned it she stared at him through her eyelashes, thinking that in other circumstances this would be a very intimate act. It smelled like him underneath the chemical smell of the dry cleaning. That woodsy scent she'd always loved. Surreptitiously she inhaled deeply, god she'd always loved that smell.
She should only ever wear sexy underwear and his shirts. Forever. It was a crime against humanity that she wasn't required by law to wear Jeff Winger's shirts and only Jeff Winger's shirts over lingerie. And also to never leave his home again. She could telecommute and be a forensic scientist, right? He hadn't expected to have such a strong reaction to Annie wearing his shirt but as she had given him that little look and buttoned it he had felt the impact of her gaze like a punch. His first instinct was to throw her over his shoulder and drag her into his bedroom for a year or two. Possibly forever. He was in so much trouble.
Annie didn't know what kind of sadist her inner voice was, but she actually listened when it whispered in her ear that she really didn't have to button the shirt all the way, and that so long as her exposed midriff was covered she was fine. After she had the shirt buttoned up just enough for modesty the stared at each other, uncertain. Wondering what the other was thinking. Wondering if they were thinking the same kinds of thoughts.
"I'll start," Jeff croaked out and when she nodded in agreement he gathered a lifetime of false bravado and put it all out there. Honesty was what Hickey had recommended and he had a feeling the older man was right. "I want to apologize for springing everything on you like that. Admittedly it wasn't my finest hour. I just want to reset and go back to where we were. Before I put my foot in my mouth. Is that okay? Is that something you think you can do? I understand that you don't feel the same way but if we can I want to at least be friends again." He was speaking calmly and sincerely but his eyes were naked with pain and regret.
Annie nodded hesitantly. They could do this. They could have a rational discussion. They were adults and they had known each other for years. There was no reason they couldn't amicably resolve this one unfortunate incident. "I...guess I can," she said as she turned to look away from him. It hurt to see him. She hadn't expected it to physically hurt. "But I need you to promise not to try anything like that ever again because it was insulting."
Wait, what now? She was INSULTED that he loved her? Jeff went from contrite to righteous anger in the space of a single heartbeat. "Insulted? Annie that is far and away the most offensive thing I have ever heard in my entire life! And I was a lawyer!"
What? Offensive? How dare he? She gasped and rounded on him angrily, sticking a finger in his chest and yelling at him. "Jeff, I wasn't interested in casual sex with you! You were trying to get in my pants! Yes, I was insulted!"
His eyebrows pulled down in confusion and he swatted her hand away in irritation. "Who even mentioned sex? Nobody mentioned sex! I was trying to find out why you were mad at me!"
Annie held up her hand and narrowed her eyes. "Okay. One, you didn't have to say anything. And two, I wasn't mad at you I was mad at me, okay? You're a distraction, Jeff Winger. I can't afford a distraction. Not now. I have to focus. I have goals, Jeff. And nobody but me is going to help me achieve them."
Jeff gaped at her, shocked and hurt to hear what she really thought about him. "Oh so I'm just a distraction, now? Wow. That's just great. You are a real piece of work, you know that, Edison? Is that what you think about relationships? That they're a nuisance? Is that what you think about me? That I wouldn't support you? I thought I knew you. I thought we were friends!I wish I'd known before it was too late."
Oh for crying out loud. He did not honestly expect her to feel bad because she'd refused to sleep with him. Of all the arrogant... "Too late for what? For you to come on to me? You expect me to feel BAD for you that you didn't get what you wanted for once in your life? You're unbelievable!"
Jeff sneered at her in derision. He wasn't falling for her little miss perfect act anymore. "Oh don't act innocent now. You know exactly what I'm talking about! What? You want to hear it again? You want another chance to shoot me down? Will that make you feel good? But hey, who cares, right? You already knew how I felt when you decided you didn't want to have anything to do with me, remember? Jesus, Annie. I may have been drunk but I distinctly recall you telling me that you knew I was in love with you and that you weren't interested. Right before you threw me out!"
Her eyes widened in shock when what he had been saying finally sunk in. "What did you say?" she asked. Terrified and elated at the dots she was finally connecting.
She wanted to hear it again? Fine. Not like he could take it back anyway. "Yes, okay? Yes. I love you! Are you happy now?"
Annie's eyes widened and she collapsed onto the couch as what he had said finally hit her. She'd been the one with sex on her mind all night. He'd never actually mentioned anything about sleeping with her. She'd just assumed. He had real feelings for her. And when he'd told her she'd told him off and kicked him out! "Jeff," she whispered as tears welled up in her eyes. "Oh Jeff I've made a huge mistake. I'm so sorry. This is all my fault."
But Jeff wasn't going to be moved by pretty tears. She'd broken his heart and he wasn't about to show her mercy. He didn't care if all of their friends down at the pool could hear them yelling. This fight was happening and it was happening right friggin now. He stalked over and stood near her. "What are you talking about? What mistake?"
"I was trying so hard to keep you at arm's length but all it did was make you forbidden fruit and all I could think about all night was being with you. Of all the things I wanted to do with you. To you. And then I thought you wanted to sleep with me and it was…" she trailed off and looked at him. Her eyes wide and scared as she realized what she had admitted.
Oh, holy shit. Annie Edison wanted him. This changed everything. "Tell me." he said softly. Insistently. He kneeled next to her on the couch and stared at her intently. "Say it."
"...hot," she whispered. Her pupils were dilated and her chest was heaving as the admission was wrenched from her.
This woman was going to be the death of him. Sitting on his couch in his shirt and that bikini looking like a pinup come to life just for him. Admitting she thought about being with him. In detail.
They stared at each other for what surely had to be an hour. Reeling from each other's revelations. Jeff could only think that if she wanted him he wasn't completely out of the game. If she wanted him he still had a chance to win her heart. Annie could only think about the fact that Jeff loved her. She'd loved him for so long and had finally given up on him. But now? All of the feelings she had been working so hard to lock away came roaring back.
The dam broke and they lunged at each other. Lips meeting in a frenzy of long-denied need. Years of stolen glances and not-at-all accidental touches. Their kisses were sloppy. Teeth clacking and tongues tangling together artlessly until slowly they learned from each other and what worked for them both.
Jeff held back. Not wanting to push Annie too far. He didn't want to ruin this moment.
Annie had no such hesitation. Emboldened, she climbed onto his lap and rolled her hips, grinding down on him as she feasted on his mouth. Her hands scored faint marks down his bare chest as she lost herself in the kiss. She was aggressive. Reveling in the freedom of finally being able to do what for years she'd considered only a dream. She was a wild thing. Touching every inch of skin she could get her hands on.
She discovered that his breathed hitched when she gently took the lobe of his ear between her teeth and moaned softly. That he rumbled like a great cat when she tugged on his hair. That when his powerfully built arms locked around her and she was surrounded by him she still felt completely in control. And safe. And so right. This was so very right.
Jeff learned that Annie didn't care for being treated like a delicate flower. That she whined wordlessly when he traced feather-light touches up the porcelain skin of her thighs. That when he slid his hands under that shirt she was wearing and tightly held her down on him as he ground up against her she moaned loudly. That when he cupped her breasts in his large hands it was a perfect fit. That this felt like coming home.
She felt so good. So perfect. Why had they waited so long for this? Why hadn't they done this years ago? Or at least last weekend. Last weekend..."Wait" he said breathlessly as she trailed fevered kisses down his neck. "Wait wait wait." He grabbed her shoulders and gently pushed her away. "Annie if you want this as much as I do why did you get so mad last weekend? You thought I wanted to sleep with you, and I do. But why would you kick me out?"
"Because I love you." she said gently as she touched his face in wonder. "I always have. But I never believed you'd ever feel the same way so I had to get away from you for my own sanity."
Jeff's head was spinning. "Wait. You love me? Why did you kick me out last week! Why did you tell me you weren't interested? Why didn't you say anyt-"
"Stop, Jeff! Stop!" She interrupted, "This whole thing happened because we made assumptions about each other! Listen to me." She cupped his face in her hands and looked earnestly into his eyes. Trusting that he could see the truth in them. "The night of the party I assumed you were trying to get me in bed since you weren't with Britta anymore and you were drunk and I was convenient. Jeff you were...aroused. I couldn't NOT see that!"
He didn't remember that. But he'd had to discreetly adjust himself often enough over the years that he didn't doubt her word. Oh. And she'd noticed. Her assumption made more sense. Still. "Well I'm a healthy male and have you SEEN yourself? Of course I was!"
She felt a new flutter of arousal at his words. "Well that's what I thought you were talking about. Then when you said you loved me I assumed you were saying what you thought I wanted to hear so I would take you to bed. Do you know why I reacted like I did?"
She didn't give him time to answer before plowing ahead, "Because like a week earlier I had made a promise to myself that, since you would never love me, I would try to stop loving you. Something that was already almost impossible since you're so unfairly irresistible and was even freaking harder once you were all sexy and horny and finally wanting me. But it wasn't enough and I wasn't going to get over you by sleeping with you. So I had to get you away from me."
"Wait." Jeff stopped her. Stuck on something she'd said. "So you had no idea I was in love with you until I accidentally said it? And then you assumed the absolute worst of me? What the hell, Annie?"
"Well what else was I supposed to think?" She retorted indignantly.
"Uhh I don't know," he responded sarcastically. "That when Jeff Winger actually tells a woman he loves her that he maybe means it? Do you know you're the first woman I've ever actually fallen in love with? From my perspective as soon as you found out you wanted nothing to do with me. That hurt, okay? You hurt me." The heat and anger had drained out of him and he was just tired.
"You were drunk!" She pointed out angrily.
"That doesn't mean it wasn't the truth." He sighed in defeat. They had really made a complete mess of all of this. He took a deep breath but it caught in his throat when he smelled her perfume mixed with sunscreen. That should absolutely not be as sexy as it was. "Annie I've been in love with you for years. I was just too stubborn to realize it. Do you know what finally made me accept it? It was what you said in that ridiculous hidden lab. About how we shouldn't be ashamed of our desires. I knew in that moment that I was completely in love with you. That's how the stupid robot worked, Annie. Because of how I feel about you."
She felt tears welling up again and quickly wiped them away, "Why didn't you say anything? How was I supposed to know you had actual feelings for me?"
Jeff shook his head. Yes she had been dumb about this whole thing. But really, so had he. "I didn't know how to tell you or if I should tell you. I'm out my depth here. That's what my deal was that night. I was trying to show you how I felt without coming right out and saying anything just yet. I had to know how you'd react to me when I wasn't trying to just be friends. But then you were being all weird and distant and it was so obviously only with me. And then I was stupid and got drunk even though I knew it was a bad idea. I thought you were mad at me and that wasn't okay. Annie you're the most important person in the world to me. I never want you to be angry with me." He let out a short huff of self deprecating laughter. "I should have just told you as soon as I realized it. I'm sorry."
Annie responded in a small voice, "I'm sorry, too. I never thought you would feel the same way that I did and I should have just talked to you a long time ago."
Jeff shook his head ruefully. "No, you were right. If you'd said anything to me before I figured out how I felt for myself, I probably would have reacted in some really over the top stupid way that drove you away from me forever."
Annie chuckled softly. "Touche, Winger." She sighed and gave him a little half-smile, "I'm really so sorry about all of this."
"Oh I think we get equal dibs on the blame. I get where you were coming from. You didn't know how I felt and I said it in the drunkest, dumbest way possible. But listen, you don't have to choose between me and your goals. You're not like me. You're driven. I admire it. I'm a little jealous, even."
She laughed softly and stroked his cheek. "Do you think we can actually do this? Be in a relationship?"
Jeff let what she said sink in. He put his hands on her hips and tugged her closer. He slid one hand up her back and pulled the combs from her hair, letting the silky strands tumble down her back. Then tossed the combs aside and buried his hand in the dark chocolate tresses. With the other hand he tugged her even closer. He leaned in slowly and Annie's eyes fluttered closed. He pulled back just before their lips touched, smiled a little at the way her breath hitched in frustrated anticipation and whispered, "Annie. Would you like to go out sometime? Maybe to a pool party?"
Annie smiled. Not a polite smile or a manic smile. This was a new smile. A slow, secret smile just for him. She slid her hands up his chest and twined them behind his neck, gently running her short but neatly manicured nails along the short hairs on the back of his head. "I would love to," she said clearly and sincerely. She settled in a little more and hid her smile at the way his entire body tensed with every shift of her hips. "But maybe not for an hour or two..."
A/N: Hey you. You there. Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed! I'm on the fence about an epilogue so let's just call this "Probably The End"