A/N: We're back, with another installment of Hear it in the Silence! In which Abbey is frustrated with Jed's ego, Jeremy asks Abbey an interesting question, and Jed tries something new with Abbey. Enjoy!
Staring at Abbey as though she had lost her mind, Jed asked her to repeat the question she had just finished asking, almost certain she hadn't said what he thought she'd said.
"Would you like to spend summer vacation at my parents' house?" she repeated, a small, amused smile on her face.
Okay, so maybe she had said what he'd thought she said. He blinked slowly, trying to determine if she was joking with him, but when she raised her eyebrows, he realized she was seriously waiting for his answer.
"Oh, you were serious about that? I thought…wait, what about Kate? Isn't she coming home?"
"No," Abbey said with a laugh, "She's going on some trip with a bunch of her friends. I'm pretty sure there's a guy involved, but my parents don't need to know that. And since Kate's room will be empty, you can stay there, and you won't have to spend your summer alone."
"And your parents are okay with this?" he asked skeptically.
"Jed, you've already asked me to marry you, I think they've accepted you as part of the family at this point."
He was silent for a moment, weighing the options in his head, torn between seeing Mrs. Landingham and spending time getting to know Abbey's parents, and when he nodded, he couldn't help the smile that came across his face.
"Sure. But I hope you know that you're going to owe me."
Abbey frowned.
"What? Why?"
Jed smiled, pulling her into his arms, kissing her lightly, his fingers running through her hair slowly.
"Spending an entire summer in your parents' house where I won't be able to touch you for three months? You'll definitely owe me."
Abbey laughed, rolling her eyes as she stepped out of his embrace, tossing her hair over her shoulder.
"Jed, you survived over twenty years without sex, I think you can manage three months."
Jed caught her by the arm as she turned to walk away, pulling her back against his chest, his voice low in her ear as she laughed again.
"You severely underestimate how addicted I am to you, Abbey. From the very first time I touched you, I knew I would never be able to go back to being without you."
"Well, deal with it, Bartlet. I would never dream of disrespecting my parents like that."
"Nor would I ask you to," he assured her, "I'm just making sure that you understand what I'm giving up for you."
Abbey turned to look at him, running her fingers through his hair lightly, a devious look in her bright green eyes.
"Believe me, babe, it won't be easy for me, either."
That, at least, was a small comfort.
"Hang on. You're going to be spending your summer with your fiancée's parents? That sounds like torture," Jeremy said, shaking his head at the very thought.
"The Barringtons are nice people," Jed replied with a laugh, "I owe them a lot, you know. They've always treated me with respect, and they were even there when my father died. Besides, they've agreed to let me marry their daughter. What more could I ask for?"
Jeremy began laughing, causing Jed to look at him in confusion, and as he kicked off his shoes, he sat down on his bed.
"What's so funny?"
"Do you really think Abbey would have let her parents stop her from marrying you?"
"I dunno," Jed said slowly, "Abbey's never really done anything that her parents didn't approve of, and I think it might kill her to think that she'd disappointed them."
"You're right, Jed. Marrying you is punishment enough."
Rolling his eyes, Jed threw a pillow across the room, hitting his friend squarely in the face, shaking his head when Jeremy tossed it back.
"Very funny."
Jeremy continued laughing, though Jed ignored him, and when he spoke again, it was clear that he was struggling to articulate his thoughts through his own amusement.
"You're going to have to go three months without getting laid. What the hell are you doing here when you should be with Abbey making up for it?"
"She's at an appointment with Dr. Harris, smartass. I think it's her last one before the end of the school year. Between Howson's death and everything that led up to it, she's been through a lot lately. Better for her to end the year on a high note than a low one, so she's going to see him one last time."
"Makes sense," Jeremy said, pulling out a pack of cigarettes from his desk, "I'm gonna go smoke. You coming?"
Jed shrugged, pulling on his shoes again.
"Sure."
"I hate that we can't smoke in here anymore."
"Well, it is a fire hazard, as we all found out two weeks ago. Still don't know how you managed to sleep through that."
"I am a man of many talents. Just ask any of the ladies around. Except Abbey, of course. I'm legendary."
"Maybe in your own mind," Jed quipped.
Jeremy shoved him lightly as they began walking down the hall, shaking his head as he placed an unlit cigarette in his mouth.
"You know, words hurt, Bartlet."
Though she was dying to ask what was being written on the paper in front of Dr. Harris, Abbey managed to keep herself from asking, regardless of the fact that she seemed to be unable to look away from him as he wrote down her most recent response.
"And how did you react to the news of your abuser's death, Abbey? What emotions did you experience, and how did you handle them?"
"Abuser? I don't know if I would go so far as to call him my abuser."
"No?" he looked at her over his glasses, his tone politely curious, "And why is that?"
"Well…" she paused, trying to find the proper words to express her thoughts, "I mean, that…what happened to me, that's not—it wasn't—what Jed's father did to him, that was abuse. It was years and years of pain, of fear…this isn't the same."
"Abbey," his voice was soft now, "Richard Howson assaulted you on more than three separate occasions, he followed you on the school grounds, he threatened your safety, and he did it over the course of two and a half years. I know you might not want to think of it like this and you might not want to hear it, but it sounds the same to me. Just because it wasn't the same type of abuse or for as many years, that doesn't change the fact that it was still abuse."
Abbey frowned, considering this carefully, and she shook her head slowly.
"I know you mean well, but I just—I can't—that would make me a victim of abuse, and—"
"No, you're a survivor of abuse," he corrected her gently, "and there is nothing wrong with that. You have nothing to be ashamed of. Do you think that Jed should feel shame over what his father did to him?"
"No, of course not!" Abbey replied emphatically, "Jed isn't to blame for the choices his father made, and he has no reason to be ashamed."
"Do you mind if I ask you something?" Dr. Harris began, looking at her seriously.
When she shook her head, he leaned forward onto his desk, his eyes locking on hers intently.
"Jed endured abuse just like you did. It went on for far longer, this is true, but that is neither here nor there. You've just told me that you don't believe that Jed should feel any shame about this fact, and you're absolutely right. So why can you not afford yourself the same grace that you give to Jed? You were just as innocent in this as Jed, so what makes it different? Would you judge someone else who had been through exactly what you endured?"
"No," she answered quietly.
"So why are you judging yourself so harshly?"
"I don't…I don't know," she admitted finally.
"Give it some thought over the summer. Maybe when you come back, you'll have a different answer. Now, back to my original questions: how did you handle the death of your abuser and the accompanying emotions?"
"Honestly?" Abbey laughed bitterly, "I threw up in Jed's trash can multiple times, broke a bottle of scotch and a mirror, then ended up destroying my feet for a week or so. It was…not pretty. I had so many conflicting thoughts, and I didn't know which one to focus on."
Dr. Harris nodded, indicating that she continue.
"I was upset, in shock, I was relieved, and then I felt guilty because I was relieved, then I was angry…Millie told me that I needed to talk to Jed because he would understand better than anyone else about the way I was feeling."
"And did you?"
She nodded.
"Yeah. It helped, more than I expected it to. I was just terrified that he would look at me differently, that he would see me as some terrible person because I was relieved by the death of another human being, but…he didn't. Jed has never judged me for the way I feel, even if he doesn't always understand it, and he just…listened."
"I imagine that made you feel relieved in and of itself. Sometimes, having someone that will listen is all that matters."
Abbey raised her eyes to his, crossing her ankles in an attempt to keep her hands from twisting nervously in her lap.
"Can I ask you a question, Dr. Harris?"
"Of course."
"How do I—I mean, how do I stop—how can I give myself the same grace I would give to Jed?"
"The next time you start to judge yourself, imagine how you would feel if it were Jed or Millie making the same decision. Treat yourself the same way you would treat them. It won't be easy, and it won't work every time, but it's as good a place as any to start."
He stood up, signaling the end of their session, and as he walked her to the door, she turned, giving him a warm smile.
"Dr. Harris? Thank you."
"You're welcome, Abbey. Enjoy your summer."
As she walked out into the bright sunlight, she felt better than she had in weeks, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop smiling.
Though Jed had tried to convince himself that he wasn't more than a little nervous about spending the summer with the Barringtons, he was. He knew Abbey's parents liked him (at least somewhat), after all, they had given their blessing for their engagement, but he was unused to spending such a long length of time with people he barely knew. Still, he supposed that was the entire point of this arrangement. If he never got to know them, how would he ever begin to feel like part of their family?
If he was being honest with himself, he had no idea how to act in an informal setting with adults, especially when their family dynamic was so drastically different from his own, and it was this more than anything that gave him pause. What did a healthy family even look like? Hell if he knew. He sighed, shaking his head as he took a long drag off his cigarette, leaning against the brick wall behind him. This could either go very well, or it would end in disaster, he was sure if it.
God, he hoped it went well.
From the corner of his eye, he saw Abbey walking closer, looking absolutely stunning in a seafoam green dress that perfectly accentuated her eyes, and she gave him a slightly annoyed smile as she stopped beside him.
"Jed, that is the most disgusting habit."
"Hello to you too, sweetheart," he said sarcastically, "You look very nice today."
"Thank you," she replied, her voice almost sickeningly sweet, "You said that the first time I wore this dress, too. And don't try to change the subject."
He pulled in another lungful of smoke, rolling his eyes as he exhaled slowly.
"Abbey, we have this discussion every single time you see me with a cigarette. When are you going to give up on this?"
"When one of us is dead," she quipped, "and with the way you smoke, it'll most likely be you that dies first. You know that—"
"I know," he interrupted, "Whatever you're going to say, I already know. And do you know how I know? Because, as I just said, we've had this exact conversation before. So can we please, for the love of God, not get into this again?"
"Feel better to get that off your chest?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.
He nodded.
"Yeah."
She laughed as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer, and when he kissed her cheek, she decided that, at least for now, she would let the matter drop.
"How did you even know I was out here?" Jed asked.
"Jeremy," she said simply, "You can thank him later."
"One of these days, I'm going to kill him."
Abbey couldn't help the words that fell out of her mouth, knowing even as she spoke, she was baiting him.
"No, you won't. You'll be dead from lung cancer."
"Abbey, I swear to God…" he warned.
"Swear all you like," she said lightly, kissing his cheek as she stepped away from him, her green eyes bright with laughter, "You know I'm right, babe."
Jed shook his head as he followed her, knowing she was right but hating to admit it, and as they walked casually across the campus, she gave him an apologetic look.
"Would it make you feel better if I told you that my parents are looking forward to seeing you?"
"Depends. Did your mother say that or was it your father?"
"Both," she answered, looking at him in confusion, "My mother said at least this way she knows you won't starve to death over the summer, and my father wants to challenge you to a game of chess. Do me a favour and don't lose on purpose. Or at all."
Jed frowned.
"Why would I lose on purpose?"
"To boost my father's ego," she said as though it were obvious, "I forgot who I'm talking to. You don't have it in you to throw a game. You're too much of a sore loser."
"Excuse me?"
She met his cool stare without flinching, her voice even.
"You heard me, Jed Bartlet. I didn't stutter."
He laughed, reaching for her hand, kissing it lightly.
"I'm only letting that slide because I love you."
"Damn right."
Jed had to admit, as he watched Abbey drain the alcohol in her glass within the span of thirty seconds, that he was impressed. To her credit, she only shuddered once, earning her an approving look from Jeremy, and Millie laughed as she took a small drink from her own glass.
"Abbey, are you trying to compete with Jeremy? You should quit before you die of alcohol poisoning."
Abbey shook her head, pouring more scotch into her glass, passing the bottle to Jed.
"No, I'm not that stupid. I could live to be a hundred and I could never beat Jeremy in a drinking contest. But this way, I can drink the rest of the night slowly and better determine when I should stop. It can sneak up on you if you aren't careful."
Jeremy held up his glass, looking around the room, smiling when they followed suit.
"Here's to us. One more year down, one to go."
They clinked their glasses together, and after they had each swallowed a mouthful of scotch, Jeremy glanced at Abbey, his expression serious.
"By the way, doc, you made a smart decision by not trying to beat me. I think Bartlet would murder me if you died, and believe it or not, I don't have a death wish."
"Could've fooled me," Jed muttered, taking a drink from his glass.
Millie laughed, looking between Jed and Abbey curiously, taking great care not to slur her words as she spoke.
"You two are gonna spend the whole summer together? Won't that be hard?"
"Something will be, at any rate," Jeremy whispered.
As soon as Abbey realized what he'd said, she burst into laughter, nearly spilling her drink, and as she tried to speak, she was forced to take several deep breaths, hoping to keep her voice steady.
"I can't believe you said that," she gasped, "You might be my favourite person in the room right now."
Jed rolled his eyes as Abbey leaned closer to kiss Jeremy on the cheek, and he held up his hands in surrender, looking at his roommate seriously.
"You saw it, Jed! I didn't touch her! She made the first move! I can't help it, I'm irresistible."
"You might be her favourite person in the room right now, but we all know that Jed is Abbey's favourite person of all time," Millie told him.
Abbey nodded, letting her head fall onto Jed's shoulder, moving so close to him that she was practically sitting in his lap.
"Sorry, Jeremy, it's true. No one compares to Jed."
"Fair enough, but level with me, doc. What is it about him? I mean…he's a total nerd. He was so nervous about kissing you that he asked me how he should even go about it. How did he go from that to sleeping with one of the most attractive girls on campus?"
"I'm sitting right here," Jed interjected, "You are aware that I'm still in the room?"
"Well, if you must know," Abbey began, ignoring Jed as though he hadn't spoken, "our first kiss was absolutely wonderful, because unlike some people, he didn't immediately shove his tongue down my throat. He waited until the second kiss, like a true gentleman."
Millie couldn't have stopped herself from laughing even if she'd tried, and Jeremy rolled his eyes.
"Maybe so, but there's no way he's better in bed than I am."
Abbey shook her head, frowning.
"How the hell would I know that? I've never slept with Jed."
As soon as she said it, Jed recognized the teasing look in her eyes, though he was sure Jeremy hadn't, and he pulled Abbey closer, his arm wrapped around her waist.
"She's right. We're waiting until our wedding night. We're good Catholic people, we can't get married if we aren't virgins."
Jeremy stared at them both, his inebriated mind unable to determine if they were serious, and he turned to look at Millie, hoping she could shed some light on the truth.
"They're kidding, right? You've been kicked out of your room so they could sleep together, right?"
"No," Millie said lightly, "I've been kicked out so they could be alone, but not to have sex. Abbey hasn't slept with anyone, and neither has Jed."
"I hate all of you," Jeremy snapped, realizing finally that they were joking, "I'm drunk, not stupid."
"Seriously, Jeremy, how would I know if he's better than you? I've never slept with you, and I never will," Abbey said with a laugh.
"Okay, but I refuse to believe that Jed is better than I am."
"Whatever helps you sleep at night," Jed replied, kissing Abbey slowly, "but while you're sleeping alone, I have the most incredible woman in the world next to me. No offense, Millie."
"No, why would I take offense to that?" Millie said dryly.
Abbey laughed, emptying her glass, and when Jed pulled her into his lap, she rolled her eyes as her arms locked around his neck.
"Josiah Bartlet, if I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to get me drunk so that you can get me into bed with you."
Jed shook his head, kissing the end of her nose lightly.
"As you just so boldly pointed out, that isn't really necessary. If my memory serves me, neither one of us was drunk the first time. Actually, now that I think about it, I don't think we ever have been."
Abbey smiled, her eyes meeting his slowly.
"One of these days, we'll need to fix that. I've heard drunken sex is the best kind."
"I can vouch for that," Jeremy said, raising his hand as he emptied his glass.
"Really?" Abbey asked, "How? I mean, if you're drunk, how do you know if you're doing things properly?"
"Properly?" he repeated, looking at her as though he'd never heard the word, "There really is no right or wrong way to have sex, and if you're overthinking it that much, you might want to loosen up, doc."
"No, you idiot," Abbey snapped, rolling her eyes, "I mean, how do you keep from accidentally hurting someone?"
"Oh," Jeremy laughed, "Sometimes, you don't. But drunk sex is perfect for someone like you. You'd really enjoy it because you don't feel so self-conscious. You're not as worried about the little things."
"I didn't think I was self-conscious during sex," Abbey said lightly, glancing at Jed, "What do you think, babe?"
"I don't know…you did keep looking in the mirror to check your hair the last time," he answered jokingly.
Abbey began laughing, shoving him lightly, and Jed kissed her softly, giving her a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry, baby. You're the best I've ever had."
"I'm the only one you've ever had," she pointed out with a laugh.
"Doesn't mean it's not still true."
"Abbey, I think you just won the female equivalent to a million dollars," Millie said, "Don't question the man, just accept it."
Abbey nodded, taking another long drink from her glass, a smile on her face. This wasn't how she had envisioned spending her night, but as she looked around the room, she knew she wouldn't have traded it for anything in the world.
Even as Jed's hand tangled in her hair, Abbey knew, with an unfortunate certainty, that there was no way she was going to have any kind of release this time, but she pushed the thought to the back of her mind. Her thoughts were simply too loud in her head, refusing to let her lose herself in the moment, and when his rhythm changed slightly, she knew it wouldn't be long before he found his, so she chose instead to focus on doing what she could to make it better for him, feeling an immense sense of pride when he whispered her name. His voice was ragged, shaky, something she had always found insanely attractive, and when he moved away from her a few moments later, she reached out to run her fingers through his hair slowly.
He must have sensed a difference in her touch, the look on his face one of puzzled curiosity, and when he spoke, his voice was slightly breathless.
"Abbey, is everything okay?"
She frowned.
"Yeah, why?"
"You didn't—I mean, I don't think you did, anyway, and—"
Abbey laughed quietly, shaking her head.
"Jed, it's fine. No woman has ever orgasmed every single time they have sex and anyone who says differently is lying."
"I guess…" he said doubtfully, "If you say so."
Abbey reached for her clothing, pulling it on slowly, and when she glanced up to find that Jed had dressed in near-record time, she frowned, looking at him in confusion.
"What is it, what's wrong?"
He said nothing, sitting on the edge of her bed with his hands in his lap, refusing to look in her direction.
"Babe, I told you—"
"Was it something I did?" he asked suddenly, still not looking at her, "Maybe I didn't—"
"I don't believe you," she said quietly, rolling her eyes, "You're seriously hurt about this? I'm the one who missed out, but you're the one who's pissed off? Good god, Jed. Get over yourself. This isn't about you and your ego. It had nothing to do with you, so stop pouting."
"I must have done something wrong," Jed insisted, "This is the first time this has happened, as far as I know, so—"
Abbey sighed, moving closer to him, resting her chin on his shoulder as she reached for his hand.
"It wasn't your fault. Jed, look at me."
Finally, he raised his eyes to hers, and she took a breath, hoping he would understand.
"It wasn't your fault," she repeated, "It was mine. I couldn't get out of my own head tonight. I had too many thoughts spinning around in my mind and I was distracted. This is the last night we have together for the next three months more than likely, so let's not ruin it by making this more than it is. Okay?"
"Okay," Jed sighed, "You're right."
"Besides, we can always try again later," she whispered, trailing her lips along his throat.
"True," he agreed, "Out of curiosity, what were you thinking about?"
"I've been trying to decide if I want to tell my parents about London over the summer," she admitted, "I'm worried that they won't approve, or that they'll try to talk me out of it, but then I'm worried that maybe they won't."
"Do you want to be talked out of it?" he asked, feeling suddenly worried.
"No," she assured him gently, "I'm just worried that if they don't…does that mean that they don't care about the choices I make anymore? That because I'm an adult, I'm on my own?"
Jed wrapped his arm around her, looking at her seriously.
"If they don't, which I doubt, maybe it means that they trust your judgment and that they trust you. You're a smart woman, Abbey, and your parents know that. Have you thought about that? And I'm positive that they would never tell you that you couldn't come to them if you needed to. They love you and that doesn't just disappear now that you're an adult."
"I know, I just…sometimes I wonder whose bright idea it was to allow me to make decisions. I have no idea what I'm doing half the time."
Jed laughed.
"If it makes you feel any better, I feel the same way. Probably why I like statistics so much. They help me make an informed decision, and it's usually because someone else has done all the hard work for me. You think your parents know the answers to everything? I hate to be the one to tell you this, but they're making it up as they go along just like you are."
"I know," Abbey repeated, "and I think part of growing up is realizing that our parents are human, too. It kind of shocks you, and it's overwhelming sometimes to think about."
"And unfortunately for me, that results in my fiancée not having an orgasm."
"Jed Bartlet, do you seriously still have that stuck up your ass?"
He shrugged.
"Hey, this is the first time this has happened to me, cut me some slack."
She laughed softly, shaking her head, and when he smiled suddenly, reaching out to turn off the lamp on her bedside table, she gave him a puzzled look.
"I have an idea," he said with a smile, "It's something I read about a long time ago, and I've always wondered if it was true."
"God, help me…" Abbey muttered.
"Hush," he admonished her playfully, "Unless you'd rather not hear my idea and end the night sexually frustrated."
In spite of herself, Abbey had to admit that she was curious, and she nodded, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. Jed moved closer, kissing her slowly, carefully tipping her backward on the bed, and when his eyes met hers in the dark, she involuntarily shivered.
"Do you trust me?"
"Depends on what you're asking about," she said jokingly, "If you're asking whether or not I trust you to disarm a bomb, then the answer is no. But—"
"Answer the question, Abigail," he said seriously, "Do you trust me?"
"I trust you," she answered, though her voice was less steady than she would have liked.
"Then close your eyes, and don't open them unless I tell you to."
"Is this the part where you murder me and dump my body in the woods?"
"Don't tempt me," Jed muttered, "Close your eyes and keep them closed."
She nodded, closing her eyes, and Jed smiled, leaning down to kiss her, his hand slowly running through her hair. He could hardly see in the darkness, making him slightly nervous, but he quickly dismissed the feeling, moving his mouth to Abbey's throat. He slid her skirt slowly down her legs, pulling her underwear with it in one fluid motion, and as he ran his fingers lightly over her skin, he glanced at her to make sure she hadn't opened her eyes. He knew it was a struggle, knew she was dying to look at him, and he smirked as he pushed up the hem of her shirt, placing feather-light kisses on her exposed skin.
Taking great care not to fall off the end of her bed, Jed moved his body lower, kissing her inner thigh, judging his success by the way Abbey's breath caught in her throat. He trailed his lips up her thigh, letting his tongue trace patterns over her skin, and as he planned his next move, he ignored the voice in the back of his mind that reminded him that he had no idea of what he was doing. Before he could second-guess himself, Jed swept his tongue over her, feeling more than a little pleased when her hips jerked beneath him, a harsh gasp tearing from her chest.
"Fuck," she whispered, "Jed…"
He continued as if he hadn't heard her, trying to remember exactly what Jeremy had told him about this particular act, and when he slid his fingers into her, a low moan reached his ears. He wasn't quite as worried about touching her, after all, he'd done it enough times by now that it was almost second nature, and as he moved his fingers, he heard Abbey whisper his name again. Taking a leap of faith, Jed allowed his tongue to take the place of his fingers, lifting Abbey's leg over his shoulder to get a better angle, and when he felt her move suddenly, he paused just long enough to look at her.
He smirked as he realized she had thrown her hand over her mouth, which struck him as a very good sign, and he started again, feeling her free hand wind into his hair. The muffled cry that fell from Abbey's lips only made him move faster, using every movement of his tongue he had acquired while learning Latin to his advantage, and her ragged moan of his name told him that it wouldn't be long before she fell over the edge. He stopped for one moment, just enough to allow her to breathe, and he quickly moved over her, shaking his head when he realized she was dangerously close to opening her eyes.
His lips brushed her throat, his voice low in her ear, and when he spoke, he slid his fingers slowly into her again.
"Eyes closed, Abigail," he whispered.
He kissed her once, quick and hard, before moving back to the edge of the bed, and as his tongue swept over her again, she bit down on her bottom lip to stay quiet. She fell over the edge with a muffled scream, her entire body shaking, and when several moments had passed, he placed a light kiss to her inner thigh, lowering her leg carefully. She took several unsteady breaths as he moved back up the mattress, and when he ran his hand through her hair, she jumped slightly.
"Okay," he said softly, "You can open your eyes now."
Slowly, almost painfully slowly, her eyes opened, meeting his in the darkness, and when she spoke, there was no disguising the shakiness in her voice.
"How…Jed, how in the hell did you do that?"
"Well," he began conversationally, as though he were discussing the weather, "I read about sensory deprivation a long time ago. You know, how if you lose your vision, your other senses become sharper? I wanted to know if that was true, and while I'm still not entirely sold on it, I think you provided some irrefutable evidence that it works at least partially."
He kissed her lightly, pulling her closer, and as he ran his hand slowly over her leg, she let her head fall onto his shoulder.
"Plus, it gave me an excuse to have your legs wrapped around my ears," he continued, giving her a smile.
"Jed Bartlet, I think that may be the most sexual thing you've ever said," Abbey laughed.
"Probably," he said lightly, "but am I right in saying that I made up for earlier tonight?"
"Yeah, babe," she said breathlessly, "You definitely did."
Jed stood carefully, picking up Abbey's discarded clothing, and when she pulled herself upright, he felt another flash of pride when he noticed her hand shaking as she reached for the fabric.
"Just think, for the next three months, you'll have to live without that," she said.
"God, we're both going to die," Jed muttered as she pulled on her skirt.
"I wonder what the official cause of death would be?" Abbey mused thoughtfully.
"Only you would think of something like that," he replied, shaking his head in amusement.
"Yeah, but you love me for it."
Damn right he did.
When Jed opened his eyes the next morning, he instinctively reached for Abbey, pulling her close against him, burying his face in the hollow of her shoulder. He could still smell the scent of her perfume, clinging to her skin even after her shower the previous night, and he smiled when she turned in his arms, a quiet hum of contentment reaching his ears.
"Morning," he said quietly, kissing her forehead lightly.
"Morning," she replied, "Can we just stay here until it's time to leave?"
"Depends, did you already pack?"
Abbey nodded, her eyes still closed as she moved closer to his warmth, breathing in his cologne deeply.
"Well, thanks to you, so did I, so actually, we could stay here until then," Jed informed her with a smile, "What time did your parents say they would be here?"
"Three," came Abbey's quiet answer, "I definitely think we should stay in bed all day."
Jed frowned suddenly, confused by the lack of an alarm blaring, and when he raised his head, he was surprised to find that Millie's bed had been stripped of the blankets.
"Um…Abbey? Where's Millie?"
Abbey laughed quietly, kissing his shoulder as she sat up, rolling her eyes at his question.
"You idiot, she left yesterday. Her parents are taking her on a trip to see her grandparents in California, so she left a day early. How did you not notice?"
"Huh…" he said lightly, "Guess that explains why we weren't interrupted last night."
A sudden idea occurred to him, and he looked at her, raising his eyebrows suggestively.
"You know…we have seven hours until your parents get here, we could—"
"Jed, don't even finish that sentence," Abbey said, laying back in his arms, "I think I'm going to need at least a week to recover from last night."
Laughing quietly, Jed kissed her temple, smiling when she laid her head on his chest, and as he ran his fingers through her slightly tangled hair, he shook his head.
"So…I guess those Latin lessons paid off?"
Abbey frowned.
"Babe, I'm still half-asleep. What are you talking about?"
"You asked me last night how I did it. I just took everything I learned about various ways to move my tongue during my Latin lessons and applied it to a slightly different situation. With a much better outcome, if I do say so myself."
"Oh," Abbey said lightly, closing her eyes slowly, "Hang on, a much better outcome?"
"You're cute when you're half-asleep and confused," he answered with a laugh, "Yes, sweetheart, pay attention. When I did those things during my Latin lessons, all I got was the occasional 'Good job, Jed'. Last night, I got to hear you scream my name and that's definitely an improvement."
Rolling her eyes, Abbey laughed softly.
"I did not scream your name," she pointed out.
"Okay, maybe not, but I still heard you scream, and it was up there on my list as one of the high points of the night."
"Hm…and what was the highest point?"
"Watching you while it happened," he murmured, his voice low in her ear.
Abbey raised her head from his chest, staring at him for so long that he wondered if she'd forgotten how to speak, and when she shook her head, a soft laugh of disbelief fell from her lips.
"Josiah Edward Bartlet, when did you become a sex-crazed, church-abandoning heathen?"
He smiled, moving just enough that he could kiss her, pulling her back down on top of his body, holding her in place.
"The day I met you, Abigail."
A/N: I know this story is centered around college-age Jed/Abbey, but all I picture in my head is Martin and Stockard. Do with that what you will.