Pacey knocked on the door to Joey’s room a week later, a grocery bag on his arm and a smile on his face.

Joey opened the door with a grin; she’d taken a shower and wore a pair of flannel pajama pants and an old football jersey of Dawson’s, her hair pulled back in a ponytail. “So what’d you get me?”

“I’m afraid you won’t like it much.” He frowned sadly stepping inside, “I brought raw veggies with ranch dressing, 100% fruit juice, unsalted low-fat potato chips and some fruit. I realized if we continued eating out the 7-11 every night, a thousand sit ups won’t keep me in shape.” He reached inside the bag and pulled out a container. “But I did remember the Chunky Monkey.”

She shrugged shutting the door behind him. “Oh well then I guess you’re forgiven.”

“So what’s the movie of choice tonight?” He asked, putting the bag on the table.

“It hasn’t been decided yet,” Joey said walking over to her bed and shutting down her laptop.

“How’d tomorrows article go?” He asked, lifting a large arm across his chest to rub his shoulder.

“It went.” She placed the laptop on her nightstand..

“What’s the topic?” He wondered throwing himself onto her bed with a bounce.

“Oh, it’s nothing interesting...” She grabbed the remote off the nightstand and sat down at the edge of the bed. She flicked the television on. “So what are we going to watch?”

“Hmm, whatever you want. I chose last time.”

She muffled a small yawn. “Well, I don’t really care.”

He chuckled. “You never care what we watch,” he reminded her. He frowned as he shifted on the bed, trying to get comfortable.

“You’re right.” She tossed the remote at him. “You choose.”

He quickly flicked to ESPN and handed her back the remote. “Don’t say I haven’t warned you before.”

Joey glanced at the TV interestedly; lying down on her stomach, she propped her elbows up and rested her head in her hands. “Explain to me the appeal.”

“Of?”

“What I’m wasting my valuable time watching right now?”

“Baseball, basketball, football, what more can you ask for?”

She raised an eyebrow. “They show it all at the same time?”

“No,” he shook his head, and then winced in pain. “They generally do highlights, sports news, stuff like that.”

“And people actually watch this?”

“You know, Potter. Just cause you don’t adore sports...doesn’t mean the rest of the nation suffers the same dysfunction,” he teased.

“I severely doubt I’m the only one in the world who’s not a big sports fan.”

“I didn’t say that. But I think almost everyone else knows the difference between a ball and a strike.”

“I know what a strike is.” She pursed her lips together contemptuously and turned to look at him. “It’s when you swing the bat and miss the ball, and a ball is when the pitch isn’t thrown in the strike zone, three strikes equal an out and if you get four balls you have to walk.” She smiled smugly and turned back to the TV.

“I’m impressed, you’ve been learning. What does a foul ball count for?”

“A strike.”

“Unless...?”

She tilted her head thoughtfully. “Unless...there’re already two strikes. Let’s say the count is 1-2, for example, one ball, two strikes. If the batter hits a foul ball then it doesn’t count as a strike because you can’t strike out on a foul ball.”

He smiled, “Okay, you got me. I didn’t think you’d get that one.”

She grinned. “You didn’t think I’d be stuck around here without learning a thing or two?”

“I figured you didn’t care enough,” he sat up, and lay down on his stomach beside her instead, uncomfortable in his previous position on his back.

“Will makes it interesting,” she said referring to the assistant coach who’d been happy to teach her the game. The older man really had a zeal for what he did and Joey couldn’t help but pay attention.

“Yeah, he’s a good guy.” Pacey agreed turning on his side, to look at her. “One of the best coaches I’ve ever had. He works us hard though.” He groaned just thinking of the aches in his muscles. “Really hard.”

She raised an eyebrow at his obvious discomfort. “Did you try taking something?”

“No,” he shook his head. “It’s not that bad. Nothing’s strained, I just ache.”

“Hot bath?”

He shrugged, “Haven’t had time.”

“What about now?”

“I’m here with you.” He answered as if that was explanation enough.

She rolled her eyes. “So?”

“What? You’re gonna take a bath with me?”

“Aww, you need me to take a bath with you? Has it been that long?”

He rolled his eyes, “Bite me, Jo.”

“Hey, you’re the one that said they didn’t have the time. Which leads me to believe that you didn’t take a shower today and now you’re all sticky and sweaty and on my bed. I should just kick you off.” She wondered if it was strange that she wanted to lick him, just thinking about it.

“Rest assured, I had a quick shower today.” He gave her a lopsided smile, “I just haven’t had time to soak in the tub.”

“Good to know.”

His smile faded until it was just a soft curving of his lips, and he continued to just look at her. There was something about her eyes...they were brown, he decided, with flecks of color that seemed to shift and change. Completely enthralling.

Joey look at him strangely, a bit self-conscious. “Something wrong?”

He shook his head, looking away after realizing he’d been staring. “No,” he turned back on his stomach to face the TV. “Nothing.”

Thinking that he was still in pain and didn’t want to say anything, she climbed onto her knees and gently straddled his lower back. She began to massage his shoulders. “My friend Nikki does this professionally for a living. She makes great money.”

He moaned low in his throat, both from the work for her hands, and how her legs hugged his hips. “If she’s anywhere near as good as you...I’m not surprised,” he growled, letting his head fall to the mattress.

She smiled lowering her hands and shifting back a bit. “She’s better. She uses oils.”

“Hmmm,” He sighed, “You have magical hands, Joey.” He tried not to notice the fact she was sitting on his ass. Her hands were warm as they moved over his muscles through the cotton of his t-shirt, soothing the ache that had settled in them.

“You’re kind of tense,” she commented moving down to his lower back, making sure to use the pads of her fingers.

He cleared his throat, “Uh, yeah.” He tried to force his muscles to relax under her touch. After a few more moments, he was putty in her hands.

“Feeling any better?” she asked after a while.

“I think I love you,” he mumbled reverently into the blankets, his eyes closed to savor the warmth that had abolished the ache in his muscles.

She giggled gazing down at him. “Yeah, yeah.”

“I don’t think I can move.”

“I’ll just take that as a compliment then.” She smirked.

“It is,” he assured her, moaning softly as her fingers found the small of his back.

She bit her lip, her hands working over all those strong, smooth muscles she longed to touch before. He felt warm beneath her. Warm, hard and...inviting. She quickly dropped her hands to the side before she did something she’d regret. “Okay, all done.”

“Hmmm,” he sighed, carefully turning onto his back so that she was still straddling his legs, only now he could look into her eyes. “Thank you.”

She swallowed, shifting uncomfortably. “Um, no problem.”

He smiled, his hands moving of their own accord to touch her. His fingers slid over the tops of her thighs, gently keeping her from leaving him, “You know...I was thinking about what you said the other night.” His voice sounded different than it had earlier that night, deeper.

There was a slight hitch in her voice as she suddenly became acutely aware of him. “What?”

“I think you were lying to me.”

Her tongue darted out to wet her lips nervously. “Oh?”

“Yeah,” he nodded, his left hand moving over her hip, grazing her side as his hand curved over her shoulder to cup the back of her neck, faintly grazing the skin there. “I think you enjoyed our night together far more than you let on.”

Her eyes grew wide in response and she bit the inside of her cheek. She slowly shook her head despite the nervous anticipation building in her stomach. Rather than confess it all, stubborn pride held her back.

“No.” The words were barely a whisper out of her mouth.

“Yes,” he disagreed, and sat up slowly, bracing one arm on the bed. At the same time, he used the hand at her neck to urge her closer to him. She looked almost scared with her eyes wide like that.

He wet his lower lip with the tip of his tongue; he was going to show her that he was nothing to be scared of. His eyes fell closed as he touched his lips to hers...and to his surprise, he felt his heart skip a beat.

Joey’s eyes immediately fell shut. Sweet Jesus... She was experiencing quite a meltdown. If she was forced to remind herself to breathe she would’ve passed out a long time ago. She moved on instinct. Her mouth fell open, her tongue darting out to touch, to taste, to feel all in one kiss. This was nothing like kissing AJ. It was heat, passion and hazy lust all rolled into one and she couldn’t believe she settled for anything less before.

The need for air forced them to part, their warm breath blending as they panted, their lips continued to brush. “Wow,” he mouthed, the sound almost completely muted.

“My thought exactly,” she murmured quietly, gasping for breath.

He swallowed thickly, “Wasn’t like that before, was it?” He wondered once he’d regained control of his rapidly beating heart.

She shook her head. “I definitely would’ve remembered that.”

He smiled softly at her and lay back down, “I was right, you know.”

She pouted her lips. “That was unfair manipulation.”

He chuckled tiredly, “I think that was very fair.”

“Of course you would,” she protested weakly, lying down on top of him.

He wrapped an arm around her thin waist, wondering if she could hear his heartbeat against his chest. “Doesn’t change the fact I was right.”

Joey launched into full tirade. “I don’t see how that proves you were right. It doesn’t prove anything. It was nothing. A fluke. It doesn’t mean a thing. You know what? It wasn’t even that good, so if I were you, I wouldn’t start bragging...” Her voice trailed off.

Was that a snore?

She lifted her head up and narrowed her eyes. He had fallen asleep on her, of all the nerve! She shook her head in disbelief and raised her eyes heavenward before laying her head back down. She snuggled up against him and smiled, content to just listen to the soft sound of his breathing and heartbeat. She couldn’t imagine anything better in the world.