What brings two people together, the fate of the universe, or just the coincidence of two people randomly finding each other in a sea of others? As learned from the movie Happy Feet, penguins find their mates and stay with them their entire lives. Jim knew this; he knew he had met his soulmate on a fateful day he started work at Dunder-Mifflin. It was nothing random about walking into an office and staring at the person who would consume his thoughts everyday after that. It was nothing coincidental about him watching her watch him, knowing, feeling her pulling him but then, pushing him away.

No, this wasn't some random occurence. This was something so much deeper than that. Something so strong, he just suddenly ended a good relationship with a beautiful woman by a fountain in New York. So real, he just rejected an awesome job opportunity he knew he had in the fucking bag. So consuming, he just violated every traffic law known to man, and then almost caused his heart to explode as he ran up the stairwell three steps at a time... just to ask her out.

And she said, "yes".

And now, a few hours later, after his head came down out of the clouds, and Jim went home to change out of a stuffy suit to a pair of jeans, and a few fights with some styling gel and a brush...he sat across from her in Cugino's. Her hair softly curled especially for him, her face even more beautiful because of that shade of red that low cut top. Her lips frosted and it kind of shocked him, because how many times had Jim thought about kissing those lips?

And he started off his summer, in love, and happy. Free. He never wanted the euphoria he felt to end because Jim knew, nothing could ever come close to this. Nothing compares to how she makes him feel, especially now that she's looking at him with those eyes once reserved for the undeserving. He promises to himself he won't hurt her, he'd do everything he felt she deserved but never received. He'd love her, every inch of her, everything she was, and he would never neglect her.

"Stop it."

"Stop what?"

"That."

"You have to be a bit more clear. I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about."

"You know what you just did."

"Beasley...you're starting to scare me. All I did was say-"

"Shhhh!"

"Did you just shush...? Okay. This is ridiculous. I didn't say a blasphemy or anything."

"I'm just not...it's just...I'm not used to it."

He raised an eyebrow at her from across the table, as she smiled, scooting her angel hair pasta around her plate. He knew she was nervous, the blush on her cheeks crept across as she dropped her eyes and playfully bit her bottom lip. It amused him, this ridiculous feeling he felt as he realized, she wasn't used to being complimented. Especially on how beautiful she was, because if so, she would have just said a simple thank you, instead of asking him to stop saying such things.

Jim said nothing more, just reached for his wine glass, and grinned as it touched his lips. His eyes remained on her, watching her delicate hand move gracefully, as she played with her food.

He set the glass down, even more determined. "Can I say one more thing before you shush me?"

She looked up at him, a smile playing on her own pink lips. God, he lost his concentration, just looking at her lips, her eyes as they twinkled. He did the right thing, the only thing by leaving New York.

She bit her lip and gave her most serious face, "Yes, but I'm warning you..."

"Wow, threats. Nice. Consider me warned, Beasley," he replied, their eyes never leaving each other's. "It's kinda stupid really..."

He wanted to say so many things tonight, because dammit, he was on such a good roll right now. Jim Halpert had finally gotten the one thing that eluded him for so long, he finally had a crack at it, and it just seemed too surreal, too amazing. He wanted to fucking pinch himself but she might find that weird in some way, watching a grown man inflict pain on himself just to prove this was real.

"I like stupid things," she responded as she picked up her own wine glass.

"I'm sorry, did you just admit you want to date Dwight?"

"Maybe. He was willing to give me a promotion today. So I guess that would be considered sleeping my way to the top," Pam brought the glass up to her lips and paused as she said, "Okay, we went to far with this banter, I've officially grossed myself out."

Jim laughed, and she did too, the atmosphere was settling and becoming correct, finally. It was going back to what it once was, but without that air of tension.

"What were you going to say that was so stupid?" She asked, finally taking a sip of her wine.

He was losing all train of thought watching her put her lips to that glass. Hell anything she did tonight was way over the top in sexiness in his mind. Maybe that was just his perverted spank tank imagery filtering in, but he just - even her breathing made his own breath catch.

He recovered as he shook his head, "That yogurt lid, in my file. When we were just...joking around the office. Why...did you keep it?"

He watched her face flush a bit, probably not from the wine either. He had caught her off guard. She kind of stuttered as she answered,"I...I kept alot of things. I mean, you kept the boggle timer for goodness sakes. The hot sauce packets-"

"Did that creep you out?" he asked anxiously.

"No. That was awesome, because I kept a few things too. Because...it was good to have memories. It was good to...remember times I had the most fun I ever had with someone."

Jim could feel his lips turn up with her saying that. "The most fun you had, heh? Well Pam, you haven't seen anything yet. We've got a game of mini golf and then if that hasn't totally rocked your world...there's an arcade somewhere around here."

"I'm game."

"You are?"

"I'm down for anything," she said and he struggled not to jump over the table and make her prove that to him. She put down her wine, "On one condition."

"Anything," he said in an audible whisper. And he meant it, she could have anything she ever wanted, even if she didn't ask.

"We're both nervous. You've had a long day probably...driving from New York and Karen-" she dropped her eyes, and he sensed her hesitation. They hadn't really covered what happened with Karen yet, but he didn't want to. He didn't want it to ruin anything.

"Hey, don't do that," his hand crept across the table, almost cautiously, as if she might not want him to touch her just yet. He slowly laced his long fingers with hers. "That's not something I want you to worry about. I'm here. I came back."

"I know. This is all just so-"she bit her bottom lip, searching for words.

"Intense, amazing, awe-inspiring, incomprehensible, alluring....I'm running out of superlatives here," he chuckled and she threw her head back and laughed.

And he knew, Pam was no seductress, she wasn't some siren, but shit...who was he kidding? This was the woman who held every bit of him hostage for years, who controlled him without even knowing she had such power. Of course she would make the flood gates open right now, there wasn't a ring blocking her from taking him. And her laughing, made him so full right now.

"You, are a dork."

"Thank you," he smiled, noting he was still holding her hand.

"I want this to work. I think...I know...we'll probably be...I need one of your superlatives right now."

"Prodigious," he stated and her eyes widened.

"What kind of thesaurus freak are you?"

"I resent that," he faked insult. "But I agree, I want this to work too."

Pam beamed, "I'm ready to kick your ass in mini golf now."

"Bring it on Beasley. Bring it on."

**********************************************************

Much later that night, after an invigorating mini golf championship and arcade games, Jim found himself in her apartment, with her writhing underneath him as he kissed her neck for the first time. His lips were torturously traveling over her soft skin as he swore again he would cherish what they were about to do. His hands moved down her sides and he had to close his eyes for a moment to make his promises in his mind to her, to this. It wasn't just about making love to Pam, he was concerned with so much- god she feels so good - so much more. It wasn't just the lovemaking that clouded his mind, but the emotional strength of it, the culmination of years of being apart. He would never hurt her, he would never do the things she had to endure with Roy.

He would never lie, cheat, neglect, or ignore her. He would never make her cry or forget her at some stupid hockey game. He would never pick drunken nights out with his friends over her, or comment on another girl's ass while Pam's sitting there beside him.

Jim had made promises. He swore he would always make her feel loved, because that the only thing he ever felt for Pam. And it scared him, because he knew, he just knew, that the universe had it's way of ripping apart even the most fated. And it scared him, disturbed him to realize, it could disappear as quickly as it came, and it might be himself that destroys it.

And as Jim drove himself into her, her teeth grazing his ear and his eyes rolling back as he felt waves; he promised he would never ever end this, because as far as he was concerned, there was no end in sight.

But Jim was right.  His mistake was believing he could be perfect, that this would be perfect. Fate wasn't going to let them have it all, even if they both deserved it. The road was long, and rocky, and some of his promises would be broken.