A/N: I was cleaning up my desktop and found this that I started a loooong time ago. I think I didn't post it because Company Picnic aired and I was too excited about that. I've never done anything like a "drabble" or whatever, but this was it, and it was so short I didn't post it. But since that's all I'm really doing these days, I cleaned it up a little and threw it out here for you guys. Look out for an update on Two soon if anyone remembers that little story. :)
Disclaimer: Nothing's mine.
----------
The camera hits the ground as Michael and Dwight push their way through the door, and all the lens sees is the view from under a table in the breakroom. Jim's long legs unfold under another table, the bend of his elbows on its top, and a loud sigh that echoes in the room.
There's another sound, the swing of the door, as tired from watching today's chaos as Jim is. His hands flatten on the tabletop as he greets her with a small wave.
Her high heels, just black heels, consume the screen as she takes a step, then she's standing in front of the camera. It's just about all we can see.
"Hey," she says easily. "You look you're about ready to go home."
His hands are in the air, fingers flexing and working frustratedly with the others. "I just... Most days I can just go with it. Sometimes, though, I don't know... I need to hear something good today. Just one. Can't close any sales today, they took my lunch for Dwight's crazyass scavenger hunt--"
She giggles. "They took your lunch, Jim?"
He's simply exasperated when he sighs. "Yeah, the item on the list was 'Jim's lunch -- everything.' So, yeah." His hands move up and out of the frame, no doubt cover his face, hiding the redness his fingers push into his skin.
She moves to the side, out of the frame and we hear another door open, the rustle of the bag. Still from the side, she speaks to him again.
"I can tell you something good today," she says in a happy voice. "Our electric bill is twelve dollars cheaper than last month. I just checked it online..."
He breathes out a laugh, but it's barely there. "That's... mediocre at best, Pam."
"I can share my lunch," she offers helpfully.
His hands lower back into the frame, cracking his knuckles and resting on the surface of the table again. "Warmer. I guess. What do you have?"
She stays silent, and we see his chest turn towards her, waiting for her to speak. She takes a deep breath, and when she leaves the exhale for him to question, his hands relax a little.
"Is something wrong?" he asks gently.
"No," she answers immediately. There's a beat, we assume they just simply wait for the other; Pam goes ahead. "I have something good for you."
"What?" he answers, not much more interest than usual.
"I was going to wait until tonight to tell you," she says, her words measured.
Another beat. She takes a step, and when she stops, we see her hands ringing around each other, looping her wrists and making the skin blanch on the backs of her hands.
"What?" he repeats, his hands falling open in question.
Her heels twist a little, still a large picture on the screen. "Well. You know what we've been, hmm, trying to do lately?"
Jim's feet have been moving slightly, probably no more than him just curling his toes in and out in his shoes; the words make him freeze and turn his body toward hers.
"We got it."
There's a curl of silence again, except for someone's shout in the distance, some cry of victory, but we're barely paying attention to that and these two definitely don't hear it.
"No way."
"Yeah," she says breathlessly, a little coat of tears on it, we think. More silence.
"Really?"
"Yeah," she whispers, her fingers pulling on her thumbs and scratching at her sides.
There's a whole stretch of silence before it seems to erupt in both of them.
"Pam!" he says suddenly, straightening and standing up in front of his chair, his hands stretched towards her. She's making her way towards him as she laughs, her heels clicking solidly with her strides until she's up against him. We see their legs, their shoes, their hands as they excitedly embrace each other. "When?" is all he can say.
"I knew this morning," she says, gripping his hands, then letting go to allow her hands to gesture with the parts of her story. "I just thought, might as well try. We hadn't taken one in a while, you know. I figured it'd just be negative again, so I didn't even tell you. It was just bugging me last night, I just had to take one to calm myself down." Silence again as his hands run up and down her arms. "It was positive. The next two were, too."
"You took three?" he gasps. "How did you not tell me? How did you keep that all in?"
Her arms bounce in a shrug. "I don't know! Jim... I can't believe... I can't believe it!"
He laughs, a real and heartfelt laugh and his arms circle her small body against his. "Holy crap." His fingertips barely touch her stomach before she backs away. "What...?"
Her heels are once again, the entire screen. There's a blur and a slide of motion before we see his face, his eyes shining slightly with tears. Her voice comes from off screen.
"We need to get that face. Definitely. Look at you."
He bats at the camera, shooing her away.
"What? Put that down and come here. Holy crap."
Another blur of motion, colors spread across the screen until all we see is a bright display of beverage choices.
"I love you," she says. There's another shout in the office somewhere, followed by another more authoritative one.
"God, I love you," he says back. They laugh at something, whatever it is we can't see. There's a little bit of quiet before the laugh again. One by one, the buttons next to the soda selection light up, running down the line. Then they all blink at once. Then, one by one, they run down the line.
----------
Corny, I know! But it wouldn't leave me alone. I need a life.
yanana is the author of 39 other stories.
This story is a favorite of 4 members. Members who liked the View from Down Here also liked 2160 other stories.
