He'd always had a tendency to notice things that other people didn't, like the way his mother smiled when she put her wedding ring back on after washing dishes. He was only a little kid, but she did it every time, and it was hard not to notice. Whenever his father folded the laundry, he would fold his own clothes haphazardly, but take time and care on his wife's. And Jim noticed that neither of them ever noticed. He got it into his head, then, that love was often not noticed.
Pam Beesly loved mixed berry yogurt. It didn't take long at all to notice that. He ate lunch with her whenever he could, and that cup of yogurt was always sitting there between them. The type of sandwich might change, and some days it might even be salad, but if there was yogurt, it was made of berries, and those berries were mixed.
So it was almost (almost) subconsciously that he picked up the pack of mixed berry yogurt the next time he was grocery shopping, as if pretty, funny Pam Beesly was waiting for him at home, depending on him to bring back that delicious mixed-berry flavor. He left the pack in the fridge at work, and he never expected her to say anything.
As it turned out, she did say something, walking past his desk with Kelly later that morning. "I mean, I know it's a little thing, right? But it just reminds me how sweet Roy can be sometimes. How many guys would think to restock their girlfriends' yogurt at work? Honestly?" She laughed, and then Kelly started reciting one of her epic stories, and the two voices faded away.
After that, Pam was never out of yogurt. Jim saw her bright smile whenever a new pack appeared in the fridge, and it became impossible not to bring it. He kept track of her supply, made sure she had enough, checked the expiration dates. That was how he knew, one day in October, that he had to step in and save the day, as it were.
He walked to her desk and leaned over, returning her smile with a sheepish grin. "Um, this might sound weird -- and there's no reason for me to know this -- but that mixed berry yogurt you're about to eat has expired," he said.
And that's when she knew.
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Chapter End Notes:
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
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