Did not see this coming!!! This changes so much. Although it does explain the cutting and palpable tensions that continues to charge between the two after all these years. And it will be even more heartbreaking to see them not work it out after THIS (which you wrote beautifully btw- obviously). I feel they will be idiots about it and call it frustrated/breakup sex for each other. Although I also know you have amazing stuff up your sleeve and this might lead to all the mystery around Pam's past. I'm anticipating a lot of marvelously written heartbreak.
Also love how you've brought this chapter right after Jim planning to move to Stamford in the previous- the back and forth is just amazing! Cannot wait for more.

Author's Response:

Thanks so so much! That's amazing to hear :) I can't rule out Jim/Pam being idiots about this kind of thing as that feels fairly canon...but there will be stuff about Pam's past coming. And a bit of heartache. 

Thank you very much for continuing to leave such lovely reviews - I really appreciate them! 

GAME CHANGER. Well, if your intention was to get me to reread this story from the beginning, you have succeeded. I feel like this reshapes a lot of my assumptions about their relationship. I’m going to be fascinated to see how with this moment in mind we still end up at the status quo of the beginning of the story, how Jim found his way back to Karen, how they got beyond this but didn’t end up together. (I’m putting it down in writing now just so that no one can say I didn’t later: I feel like this is where the hints of tragedy/trouble with Pam’s family might start coming into play.)

There are some interesting elements leading up to this. You did a good job continuing to build this idea that their feelings for each other make it harder for them to be as quality a friend as they might be to the other – Jim not feeling like it’s his place to speak up about Pam dating Danny (much as Isabel has the better argument here), Pam being Karen’s sole defender when she doesn’t really want to be.

This was a fun use of Danny as a campus legend, and in its own way demonstrating that sex isn’t far from Pam’s mind. (And also that, much like with Jim in canon, her feelings for her best friend are kinda screwing up Pam’s life.)

The use of One Tree Hill here is amazing, and if it’s a subtle shot at Season 3 Jim, it’s even more amazing. It doesn’t seem like Jim’s kinda thing, but certainly the sort of thing he’d be quietly eager to watch because he watches it with Pam. Also, the use of Cathy. Because of course Cathy is the worst kind of person in all possible universes.

This scene leading up to their hook-up is just really well written – you’ve balanced the sexual tension and the sweetness and the discomfort well. And you did a good job with this supposedly platonic bed-sharing turning into something more, too, making it properly tentative and awkward for these two tentative and awkward kids.

Oooof. I am not looking forward to seeing how this unravels. On the other hand, it feels like it’s just a little easier for modern times Jim and Pam to speak up now. So.

Author's Response:

Haha - that is excellent to hear, thank you!! (and: I can neither confirm nor deny at this stage). 

Yeah, that is a really interesting point on their feelings for each other stopping them from being as good friends. I thought it was a handy contrast with Mark, who can actually be Pam's friend without the complication of feelings. (But I am also team Isabel on that one).  

And hehe it may have been a small shot at Season 3 Jim...although in his defence, I don't think he was as bad as Lucas.  

And I will just say on the last point, that Pam did manage to kiss Jim back in Casino Night and tell him she'd also wanted to do that for a long time - and it still took her a while? :D But yes, it might help.  

Thanks so much for reviewing!  

Wow. I am shocked. Never saw this coming. I guess Jim lied to Ryan last chapter. Interested to see how they move past this and actually become roommates. Like how do you move past this? Pam’s first time was with Jim, does he not realize the importance of that? And why Why why does he get back with Karen after this????

Author's Response:

Thanks so much for reviewing! (And sorry for the shock haha). I promise all will be revealed in future chapters. 

But yep, Jim did lie to Ryan. Pam may also not have been entirely honest with Isabel... 

Basscop, do you know what you do to me? Because you surely can’t. My heart rose to the sky when I realized Jim would stay in Scranton and we could say bye bye to Ryan. But then you just looked at my heart and laughed and cruelly shattered it into a thousand pieces.
P.S.This means I’m loving the story

Author's Response: Haha - sorry! And thanks so much :) I’m so pleased to hear you’re loving it (despite all the ups and downs). Thank you! 

1

The ending of this chapter killed me. That's all.

Seriously though, this has quickly become one of my all time favorite stories. If they don't get their acts together before Jim leaves, I'm going to be so upset. But I can't wait to see what happens. I sincerely hope he doesnt leave.

Author's Response:

Thank you!! That’s so amazing to hear :) (and apologies for the end of the chapter, lol).

I can’t make any promises on how quickly they’ll get their acts together...but hopefully it will be enjoyable/not too painful along the way? 

Thanks so much for reviewing! 

Wow. This was a meaty chapter. Well worth waiting for.

There were a couple of scenes here I really loved – in particular the vending machine scene with Ryan where we get to see Jim wavering back and forth between all the various reasons he’s uncomfortable, and then letting a clearly-very-aware-that-there’s-something-to-be-aware-of Ryan totally play him is really well put together. ““No offence,” Ryan adds, and something about the way he says it reminds Jim of Kelly’s no offence right after she’s told Jim his tie is doing nothing for his eyes” is a really good line.

And through all this plot movement, you’ve still given us a bunch of really sweet little moments illustrating their connection – how Pam makes him feel confident where Karen makes him feel so lectured at she doesn’t want to talk to him, Pam being touched by him making dinner after all this time, this moment at the drive-in of Pam saying she’s with him and that’s enough still to not take the call from the guy she’s dating. You’ve done well making them a couple I’m rooting for because of them and not just because they’re Jim and Pam.

You’ve done really well writing this because I found myself appreciating Isabel’s advice to Pam in spite of not liking Ryan. Especially in light of Pam needing horizontal fun explained to her. And the progression of Pam’s relationship with Ryan feels realistic – she is smart enough to know this guy is a douchebag, but she’s spent a long time feeling not wanted, and that’s got to be powerful for her.

I like the baby step worth of development from Jim here – he’s definitely not in a place yet where he can step up and do something about this tangled web he’s stuck in, and he’s strong enough to actually stake out his ground, but he’s at least self-aware enough that when offered a choice, he’s going to make the one that keeps him with Pam (and probably ends things with Karen) and feel good about it.

And just… yikes. A lot of twists and turns plotwise, with scheming, totally-ready-to-move-on-from-Pam Ryan who also looks an awful lot like trying-to-get-in-Pam’s-pants-knowing-he’s-about-to-leave-town Ryan and the shutdown of Stamford and Karen’s assumptions about Jim’s desires blowing up this big decision from Jim. It’s interesting, they’ve got this nice little home that’s built on a rickety foundation that’s not set up to stand up to pressure, and one way or another it was going to be knocked down. It’s just that we’ve swung from “Jim’s about to do something that will break him up from Karen prompting Pam to wonder why just as her new relationship collapses” to “they’re about to be pulled apart from each other by a new job arranged by a girlfriend with big plans and a new boyfriend who is about to communicate a serious commitment he doesn’t mean and then lose his escape plan.” It’s a lot. I’m kind of on the edge of my seat here.

Lastly, I am going to assume the reference to the office awards at Chili’s means Michael is out there somewhere and doing just fine, or maybe that in the end Jim’s going to end up working for him anyways.

Glad to see this one updated again. Happy New Year!

Author's Response:

Thanks so much for such a nice review - and happy new year to you too! 

I had a lot of fun writing the vending machine scene, so really pleased you enjoyed it. I was also interested in how far Jim (and Pam) could ever be played by Ryan - I think they’re generally probably smarter than him, but also not as self-serving or manipulative, so vulnerable to that. Which I think is a similar dynamic to the one they have with Kelly sometimes. 

There's this big wedge being driven into things. It's got a name too. It starts with a "K" and ends with an "aren." Forgive my all consuming JAM loving heart for not being fair a bit. However it's there. It really feels like Karen is more and more trying to get Jim away from his friends. Of course there's no love lost between Iz and Karen and of course the always underlying tension between Jim and Pam. Even still they're dancing around each other. Though it felt like they came close there at the beach.

Great descriptions of everything too.

Author's Response:

Thanks so much :)  

And haha, to be fair, I don't think I'm being particularly fair on Karen in this fic to begin with...but yes! 

I am not now nor have I ever been a fan of Ryan. That being said, it was refreshing to see him act like a decent person here. Though that's just the first date and he could be trying to play it smooth this time around. Though the whole lying about traffic thing does seem kind of off putting for me.

I do find it really very telling that despite Pam going on a date and Jim at his folks house, their thoughts still revolve around each other. Should be pretty big thing that if you can't stop thinking about the other person, there's clearly more than "just friends" feelings there. Hopefully sometime soon they come to that realzation.

Author's Response:

Thanks so much (and sorry for slower reply to this!)

 Ha, I'm not a huge fan of Ryan either - but I do think there are glimpses of him (in season 1 in particular) where he's not as awful, and I was interested in exploring that here. But yes: fundamentally, he is still Ryan, and will still be in this fic...

Thank you for continuing to review :) 

First- thanks so much for such quick and promot updates. Really keeps the momentum!
And damn does this story have some crazy momentum- the impatience around Pam's past is growing (hope you get into details of it soon), I'm now wondering where her and Ryan will head (you wrote him pretty well), and ugh what is even Jim doing?!?! (The angle with his parents was a really good idea, adds even more depth to his relationship with Pam.

Basically this is getting more interesting and intriguing with every chapter!! Again, loved the little throwback to Jim's kiss on the cheek. In general, love the bits you keep adding here and there to give a sense of thier closeness and familiarity. The tension bounces off the screen!

Looking forward to more eagerly!

Author's Response:

Sorry for slower reply to this review (and a slightly slower update to the story: one is coming!) - but thanks so much :) 

Haha, that's excellent to hear on the momentum/intrigue - and details on Pam's past will be coming too...

I'm also really pleased you think Ryan came out ok, I've definitely found him a bit trickier to write. 

Thanks again for taking the time review! 

So the history of being scare of their real feelings is nothing new between them. Still not liking Karen. I do like Iz though. I just wish Jim had the sense to really see what both she and Mark at talking about.

Really feel for Pam there. Pushing Jim to another girl like that. Shades of Season 3 there to be sure.

Uug, why can't they just be honest with each other?

Author's Response:

Thank you! And haha oh dear, poor Karen - but I'm glad you like Iz :) I'm having a lot of fun having her and Mark in the story. 

And yes - I think I've worked out on the show that it must have taken them 7 years to be honest with each other...which is an impressively long time to be scared of your feelings if you think about it. 

Thanks so much for the review!  

You have once again really captured the vibe of two people who love each other so much they can’t quite get together, and who you just want to take by the shoulders and shake until they start speaking up. At least coming from college students their communications issues feel age appropriate.

Definitely glad to get a little bit better of a sense here of what Jim *likes* about Karen, or at least what he liked at the beginning. And you’ve given his initial lack of spine in dealing with her some valuable context.

It’s an interesting twist on canon – both Karens have no idea what they’re stepping into, but one is being pulled into something she wouldn’t get involved in if she had all the info and the other is charging headlong into it. I appreciate the acknowledgement that Jim’s got Karen on a string here. Unpleasant as she is to deal with, she’s definitely about to do something she would describe as wasting years of her life because Jim and Pam can’t get their act together.

“For some reason” Isabel always agreed to crash his dates with Karen. ::sigh:: She’s a good friend here. Even if she can’t quite get the ball over the line for them.

The ending to this is PAINFUL. I *desperately* hope that comic is going to make another appearance at some point in this story.

(It is *supposed* to be impossible to get a table in a bar in the U.S. if you’re under 21. In reality, there’s places near pretty much all colleges that are less than discerning about it. Karen’s probably gonna have to do without that Bellini, though.)

Author's Response:

Thanks very much! And ha yes, that's true re: college students - to be honest, Jim and Pam's communication issues are bad enough as adults on the show that I'm not sure they'd ever have managed to get it together in high school or college. 

I'm really glad to hear that on Karen - and yeah, I do wonder how dysfunctional their relationship would have become if they'd been together for years instead of months, with everything going on between Jim and Pam. (Although show Karen hopefully would've had the sense to get out of it sooner - I agree she wouldn't have got involved if she'd had all the info). I think the Karen in this fic is just slightly too self-obsessed for that to occur to her.

Yeah, Pam was so nervous about the comic even when she was in a happy settled relationship with Jim that I just couldn't see her nerve holding if they weren't...I can neither confirm or deny on it making a reappearance :D (I partially say that because I haven't entirely worked it out yet. The show manages to bring back Jim's letter without it being too contrived, but I'm not sure how easy that is to pull off well). 

And that is good to know on the college bars, thanks! Also LOL at Karen doing without her Bellini.  

Ugh. Karen. What a nightmare of an individual. Gosh, she's manipulative in this, isn't she? I really hope Jim can open his eyes to that soon, it just seems to be wearing on him and his happiness. In any case, I'm interested to see where you take this and how you build up their history and relationship.

Intriguing how all of these characters enable each other and their (often bad) habits. Jim and Pam and Karen, all of them. But the phone call between Jim and Pam is so sweet, and I assume Jim texted her right then knowing she might be avoiding class/entering the building. You've built up the suspense for Pam's backstory well, and while I'm eager to find out her past, I'm also filled with chills of foreboding.

Really loved the detail about Jim watching Pam paint, and imagining another man getting that opportunity. Hurts my heart but I love it all the same.

Author's Response: Thanks very much! 

1

Bless you for these quick updates.

I, too, don’t hate Karen in the show but you’re doing a pretty good job of making me dislike her here! Haha as always I can’t wait to see where this goes. You have me hooked!

Author's Response: Haha yes, sorry Karen - and thanks so much!! :)