The lights from the ferris wheel outside danced through the window and hit the wall, briefly illuminating the dark office at every turn. Darryl's band was barely audible in the background, playing some slow melody that drifted calmly in the air, winding the party down. The climax of the evening had already come and gone, Andy had stolen every clap of thunder from the sky and wasted it on a ridiculous proposal. But maybe Jim was just bitter.
He had left Pam outside with Toby and the camera crew while he excused himself to the restroom. Truthfully, he needed privacy to sulk alone, overwhelmed with disappointment. All of the money that he had kept away, all of the pay from a job he didn't enjoy doing, all of it was put away for that proposal. The perfect proposal. Fancy dinner, beach vacation, sky writing, he had had no idea about what he planned on using the money for but he kept it in hand, along with the ring, just in case the opportunity presented itself. This was supposed to be their night, but this was this office, so he didn't know why he was surprised.
He stood in the doorway of Dunder Mifflin Scranton, scanning the room in solitude. Coats and purses were left, draped over chairs and sitting on desks, their owners still outside enjoying the party and beaming over Angela's new ring. The lights were off, and despite the ferris wheel's momentary interruptions, the room was dark except for the dim safety light that hummed softly overhead. Jim thought of the last time he had seen this office so abandoned. Has it really been two years? In some ways he didn't think so, but in others it felt like a lifetime.
He moved to sit at his desk, walking with his hand in his pocket, his finger brushing over the small velvet box. Just a couple minutes earlier. He beat into himself. Why couldn't you have spoken up a couple minutes earlier?
He jumped suddenly, startled, when he heard a rustling in the back of the room, followed by a slow moan that was all too familiar. "Dwight?" He called into the empty room, confused. The moan stopped, but there was no answer. Jim moved towards accounting and saw him sitting there, at Angela's desk, holding a small, ridiculous cat figurine. Jim's heart broke at seeing Dwight so broken, and he felt immediately selfish for being so upset over his evening.
Jim remained, standing quietly beside the desks that made up accounting while Dwight ignored him. He pulled out the chair from Oscar's desk and brought it closer to Dwight, sitting in it and remaining quiet for a moment, pulling a melody out of soft thump of the music in the background and trying to gather what he could possibly say.
"Do you remember the Booze Cruise?" He asked, leaning forwards and resting his arm on his knee. He didn't wait for an answer, he didn't expect one. "Roy asked Pam to marry him that night...again" He paused, searching for words to describe it. "It made me feel nauseous. Literally sick. Like someone had pulled the earth out from under me." He shook his head and sat back in his seat.
"So I know how you're feeling, it's the worst feeling in the world. But that night...Michael, of all people..." He laughed slightly and smirked at the recollection, "Well I believe the words he said exactly were 'BFD, engaged ain't married.' But he told me not to give up. He said if I really loved her, I couldn't give up. Ever."
There was a long pause of silence. Dwight spoke briefly, inaudibly, mumbling something that he had to repeat. "You're probably making that up." He was still slumped over in the chair, focusing on the small figurine.
It was in these brief moments that Jim hated all that he had done to Dwight. He hated that he could extend sincerity and it still seemed like a ploy. "I'm not. Honestly, Dwight." Jim said, trying to show him the tone in his voice. Trying to show him real sincerity, trying to apologize and empathize and wrap years of experience and emotion into words. "You can't give up on this. Angela's a smart girl, there's no way she's going to marry someone like Andy." He paused again, searching. "I told Pam how I felt and she didn't marry Roy. It was hard...it's going to be hard..." He thought of Stamford and Karen and all of the other mistakes he had made along the way. "You just can't give up if you love her, man."
The lights of the ferris wheel clicked off one by one outside as the room fell darker, the sound of music was long gone from the air. Jim thought of Pam outside and knew that she had to be looking for him by now.
"You can't let this kill you, Dwight, because it will." He said, standing up, placing his hand on Dwight's slumped shoulder.
He let it stay there briefly, reassuringly, before turning to go. Dwight remained, refusing to look up. "Thank you," he mumbled softly while Jim walked away.
Jim stopped and smiled, feeling some sense of atonement for all of the harm that he had done along the way. He thought of himself that night on the Booze Cruise, he thought about casino night and his drive up to Stamford. He knew that no amount of encouragement or reassurance was going to be enough.
He wouldn't wish that kind of broken heart on anyone. Not even his worst enemy. Not even on Dwight.
Story Notes:
I've been wanting to write this since the finale, it's pretty short and simple but I enjoyed writing it. This is meant to be what prompts the Dwight/Angela moment at the end of the episode.
I obviously do not own this show or these characters. Title is from the Goo Goo Dolls.
Chapter End Notes:
Hope you enjoyed it, please leave a comment, they would energize me greatly and make me the happiest writer on earth =)
nightskiesfading is the author of 5 other stories.
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