A/N: So. Ya liked that last kiss, huh? Want another one? What's that…? Was that a "yes, please"…? Well, OK then. Since you asked so nicely, here you go ;)
As always, thank you so, so much for your continuing support and feedback! We love you all. Special shout out to the following: pippiboo, nightshadowlife, ckoder, CindyCinlou555 and paceyjoeytruelove
** Standing on the Edge **
by M&M Works
Sometime between their untimely discovery by Aunt Gwen and her aborted attempt to talk to Dawson, Joey knew that Pacey had once again left the building. Like a sonar beep constantly scanning for its target, only to come up empty, she knew he wasn't inside the house. Her intuition also told her that, given the choice and the current lack of water nearby, he would always seek out a canopy of stars for a roof.
In search of him, she slipped out the back door and wondered when her compass of Magnetic North had changed to the person of Pacey Witter.
She didn't need to look far but spied him immediately, seated fireside; his hands clasped between his knees, his gaze upon the flames in front of him. And though her step didn't falter, she betrayed her nerves by a tuck of the hair and the brush of a sweaty palm down the side of her jeans.
Stifling an unbidden wild urge to throw herself upon his lap, she judiciously claimed a seat on the roughhewn bench just out of his reach – or maybe just out of temptation - her hands fluttering in subtext.
Pacey tracked her approach in silence; the only emotion he showed was a tired roll of the eyes at the precision with which she chose her seat. His attempt to abate her blatant relapse into skittishness was offered softly, the weariness he felt on the inside transparent in his voice.
Yet Pacey's reassurance of his intentions, or lack thereof, only caused Joey more unease. Her heart lurched and plummeted trying to imagine the notion of never feeling those lips on hers again – because she knew he'd keep his promise; he always did.
He wouldn't kiss her again.
Much like their earlier discussion - the one that had ended in that all important second kiss – this one was no different and followed the pattern of so many conversations in the course of their long relationship; Pacey prodding and challenging her, while she barricaded herself behind a barrage of verbiage.
Standing for emphasis, her face a mask of indignation and mock confusion, she fell into that comfortable place of going on the offensive; bickering with him, determined somehow to make him see the futility of his badgering.
When he finally distilled the issue to its core she did not, as earlier, confess with trembling lip to the emotions that were causing her such turmoil. Instead she jutted that lip against the other and blurted out the exact opposite of what he hoped to hear.
With infinite patience and understanding, Pacey's gaze swept up at her, revealing the clear blue truth in them and emphatically agreed with her.
They both felt awful.
Moments later he was on his feet in frustration, confronting her as she remained trembling but stoic, her pupils awash in a sea of tears, drops of moisture adorning the tips of her lashes.
Unable… unwilling to force her to face her fears, desperate for her volitional surrender to this thing between them, he threw down the gauntlet tenderly but clearly, and once again began to walk away.
And, once again, Joey was left to conquer her fear and make a decision that seemed too urgent, too rushed, too important to make without more time and consideration.
She couldn't do it.
And, yet, a split second later, before he was completely out of reach, she had the answer that he demanded. The incredible feelings he evoked within her were more than a shred; they were a tidal wave, overtaking and flooding her senses entirely. But they were only a part of the impetus that fueled her as her fingers caught his hand.
So much more tangible than ephemeral emotions was the evidence of this boy in her life.
This boy had been stalwart and loyal since he found her crying at the end of her dock.
This boy mended a broken heart by rebuilding a boat named True Love.
This boy let her be who she was but challenged her to want to be more.
This was the boy she couldn't let go.
Breathing his name like a prayer, she faced him and held his hand tighter.
Slowly, he turned back around and fixed his stare to their joined hands, rapidly blinking in disbelief. With an almost negligible shake of the head, he begged her without words to make sure she knew what she was doing; to not do anything else unless she really meant it, really wanted it – and, most importantly, really wanted them. He didn't dare look up to meet her eyes - afraid to hope, breathless with anticipation and trepidation.
She answered his silent plea.
Carefully, she moved toward him, one step at a time, the motion almost dance-like as she rocked her steps together. She tugged on his hand as she drew closer, squeezing it hard until his gaze met hers and then…
She kissed him.
She rose onto her toes and, holding his face captive between her palms mimicking the way he'd kissed her by the roadside, her fingers slid through his brown curls to anchor at the back of his neck; she captured his upper lip between hers and fused their mouths together.
She kissed him.
Once.
Twice.
Thrice.
Until neither was counting the number of times their lips met.
Briefly stunned at the answer in her eyes, Pacey was held immobile by those kisses at first. Then instinct kicked in and he willingly gave himself over to them, and her. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, holding her close as they swayed by the light of the fire.
Lost in the sweetness of Joey's lips, the precariousness of their location hovered at the edge of his perception until he finally whispered against her mouth, "Jo."
Eyes hooded and heavy with desire, like a flower seeking light, she curved forward to continue that which he had interrupted.
A smile ghosted his lips at her look of desire and her unabated ardent kisses, proof of the passion he'd known she held inside her all this time and now had at last been unleashed. Despite his inclination to submit to her, he resisted and tried again a little louder, "Jo!"
Reluctantly, she released her hold on his neck but didn't move from the circle of his arms as she rested her hands on his shoulders. As her heels touched the ground, her brow wrinkled quizzically and she licked her lips, the chill of the night air causing her released pants of breath to be visible.
Her thoughts befuddled by the swirl of excitement inside her, she wondered why he stopped. He had wanted her to kiss him; she was quite sure about that.
So why was he stopping?
She didn't want to stop.
She wanted more. Much more.
The last time he had stopped there had almost been no more kissing. Ever. Of course, they had been interrupted that time… The crystal clear light of realization dawned and her eyes widened in alarm as she looked past him toward the house.
Smoothing his hands down her back, he snaked one arm around her waist and making a half turn, he tugged her away from the circle of firelight.
For once in her life, she didn't argue with him but went along willingly only asking as he guided her, "Where?"
"Somewhere a little more private," Pacey confided, heading for the barn. Once inside he urged her toward the steps to the hayloft, at which point Joey dug in her heels.
"No… wait." Unwilling for their time together to be sullied by any trace or reminder of Dawson, she took the lead, pulling him by the hand through the back door of the barn and into the small stand of woods behind it. "This way."
The woods were as good a place as any to start creating a history of their own.
He quickly caught up with her stride, allowing them to walk side by side. While he ran his thumb over the back of her hand, they picked their way across the forest floor, scuffing up leaves from last fall, releasing a rich earthen scent. Occasionally the crickets' song was interrupted by the small scurrying sounds as they disturbed the indigent fauna. The surrounding trees muffled sounds from the house and the road, fostering the impression that they were cut off from civilization.
By mutual unspoken agreement they stopped at a fallen log, which provided them with a dry, if not cozy, loveseat. Away from the fire the air was cooler but not cold and yet they sat so close together that nothing could come between them.
Joined at shoulder, hip and knee, Pacey shifted slightly to slip his arm around Joey's shoulder, marveling that she automatically leaned into him. He held her against him, stroking her arm, reveling in the freedom to touch her.
He was going to kiss her again. That was a given. Thoroughly, too.
But now that he knew that she felt at least a shred of what he was feeling and that she wouldn't run, he was content for the moment to merely sit and enjoy the reality of her nestled in his arms.
Tipping her face towards his, Joey scanned it with wonder as if really seeing him for the first time. She was giddy with the delight that she had faced her fear and for once listened to heart instead of her head. As a reward for that courage she basked in the safety of Pacey's embrace while overflowing with possibilities inherent in those soaring feelings of love unexplored.
"What now?" she whispered with a smile which reached her eyes and beyond.
More than a little giddy himself, Pacey couldn't stop smiling either. His blue eyes twinkled back at her mischievously. "Wellll…," he drawled dipping his head, "…how about… this?" Gently, he nipped at her lips.
Barely moving, he mouthed, "Or this?" He smoothed his lips across the corner of her mouth.
"Or… this?" Tilting to the side a smidge and releasing her shoulder to bury his fingers in her hair, he nibbled her earlobe, earning him a breathy sigh as Joey's eyes drifted close.
"That c-could work."
"Yeah? And what about… this?" He nuzzled behind that translucent shell, tracing wispy kisses along the smooth skin of her neck until he fastened slightly parted lips at the base of her throat.
"That, t-too." Joey bit her lip to prevent a moan.
Measuring her pulse with the tip of his tongue, he vaguely noted its staccato rhythm then continued his sensate investigation. The path along her jaw to the other ear was just as sweet but the dried salt at the corners of her eyes reminded him of their hard won victory this night. Tenderly he cradled her face and kissed the remnants of her tears away.
A peck on the tip of her nose completed his circuitous explorations. "I'm kinda partial to…. this," he revealed with a husky timber as he molded his mouth to hers once again.
For long minutes, there was nothing but the quiet sighs and muted moans of two new, young lovers as the heat between them flared and flamed.
Eventually, Pacey paused to gauge her reaction only to see her left eyelid lazily peek open at him inquisitively. Her lips pulsing with lifeblood were tempting and still he waited, fingers lazily twisting in the strands of her chocolate tresses.
Having no real idea how much experience Josephine Potter had in the arts of lovemaking, he hesitated to go too fast or ask too much. Left to his own desires he might have ravished her right then and there. But Pacey was a patient man and had accelerated the pace of love beyond even his own comfort zone before.
He had every intention of nurturing all aspects of this relationship.
Eyebrows delicately raised, she grinned and then set her sights on those lips so recently holding her enthralled, closed her eye again and unerringly aimed for and claimed Pacey's warm, wet mouth.
Undone by her determination, Pacey capitulated.
Joey began her own sensory map of all the skin she could reach, even snaking the pink tip of her tongue into his ear, eliciting that groan she was learning to love so much. Her intention was to find each and every way she could to evoke that groan.
Her hands were not still but slid beneath the brown corduroy coat to wrap around his waist. He was warm and solid wherever she touched. God, how had she ever hated that coat?! Now, she loved it.
Despite having kissed five boys now, Joey's prior experiences had been nothing like this. She was a mass of contradictions.
On fire but shivering.
Aching with unfulfilled want but completely satisfied.
Desperate yet utterly secure.
She wanted to devour him, let him devour her or, better yet, come crashing together in cataclysmic collision but wasn't sure how to convey that without tackling him here in the leaves of the forest floor.
She kissed his chin on her way back to the liquid heat that was his mouth, watching him under hooded eyes to gauge her effect.
Eyes shut tight; Pacey clutched a section of her hair and waited in anticipation of her next kiss. She rubbed her slightly parted lips across his in a smooth sensual glide and he could not help but accept her invitation as his tongue lightly traced first the top and then the bottom.
Joey moaned and opened wider, her sweet pink muscle taking the opportunity to come out and play.
Long moments passed while they learned this new dance together.
When they eventually parted, foreheads still touching, they were both breathless, hearts racing but this time toward each other.
Leaning back a little, Pacey tipped his chin at her, "Hey."
Joey caught her bottom lip between her teeth for just an instant before smiling back at him a bit shyly, "Hey yourself."
"So… you think we should, you know, talk?" he wondered, reaching out to tuck her hair behind her ear.
Joey leaned forward to rest her head against his chest so that her response came out somewhat muffled. "Can we… tomorrow?"
"Sure," Pacey nodded, content to ignore the elephant in the forest with them, for the moment. He stroked her head as she snuggled there. "But Jo…"
"Hmmm…?"
"I think we may have a small problem."
Joey looked up at him with a slight frown of consternation. "We do?"
He pursed his lips together and bobbed his head. "By the time we get back inside, I have a feelin' we'll be stuck with the same sleeping arrangements as last night."
"Oh, I'm not worried about that." Joey replied easily, keeping her face straight.
"You're not?"
"Nope."
"And that would be because… tonight your butt doesn't mind my butt?" He asked hopefully.
"Nooooo… because tonight you know where to find the extra blankets to make up the couch." Joey stood pulling him by the hands until he was standing, too.
He slung his arm over her shoulder and complained, whispering a kiss into her hair, "Prude."
Hip checking him, she held onto his belt loop and giggled, "Pervert."
They began walking back toward the house. After a moment, Pacey suddenly protested, "Hey! Wait! Why do you get the bed?" He pushed out his bottom lip in a pout.
"Pacey," Joey expounded with an exaggerated roll of her eyes, as if explaining to a small child, "Everyone knows that it's proper etiquette to let the lady have the bed!"
"Exactly." He waited a comic beat. "So…? Like I said, why do you get the bed?"
Joey dropped her jaw open in mock disbelief. "You better not be implying that I'm not a lady, Witter. Because I think you'll find there's plenty of evidence to the contrary. And besides you're the last person to-"
Discovering the newest weapon in his arsenal for winning arguments with Miss Potter, Pacey stopped midstride and scooped her up against him to kiss her soundly, effectively silencing her.
When he set her down, she dazedly asked, "What was I saying?"
Satisfied that he now had the upper hand once more, he slowly began guiding Joey back along the path. Swinging their joined hands he replied mildly, "That you'd be thrilled to share that bed with me tonight."
"You wish. Couch, Pacey."
"Yes, Miss Daisy," he chuckled, breathing out a happy sigh.
As they continued on their way to the house, neither of them knew what would happen next, when that elephant they'd ignored would insistently demand their attention.
But, they could be certain of one thing.
At that moment in time, fingers tightly entwined, neither one felt awful anymore.
**
On Fire by Switchfoot
They tell you where you need to go
They tell you when you'll need to leave
They tell you what you need to know
They tell you who you need to be
But everything inside you knows
There's more than what you've heard
There's so much more than empty conversations
Filled with empty words
And you're on fire
When he's near you
You're on fire
When he speaks
You're on fire
Burning at these mysteries
Give me one more time around
Give me one more chance to see
Give me everything you are
Give me one more chance to be... (near you)
Cause everything inside me looks like
Everything I hate
You are the hope I have for change
You are the only chance I'll take
When I'm on fire
When you're near me
I'm on fire
When you speak
And I'm on fire
Burning at these mysteries
These mysteries...
I'm standing on the edge of me [x3]
I'm standing on the edge of everything I've never been before.
And I've been standing on the edge of me
Standing on the edge
And I'm on fire
When you're near me
I'm on fire
When you speak
(Yea) I'm on fire
Burning at these mysteries...
These mysteries...
These mysteries
Ah you're the mystery
You're the mystery
**
