There are but two things that get Jim through a workday: abusing Dwight and making Pam smile. Luckily for him, the two go hand in hand. The suffering and the smiling that is, not Pam and Dwight.

Oh, God. Ew.

So when the opportunity arises –the best one he's had in weeks- to make Dwight do something utterly asinine, he grabs it with both hands and runs.

Well. More like saunters casually to the reception desk under the guise of a gourmet jelly bean craving.

Pam stifles her giggles into an old memo from Corporate as Jim lays it all out, feigning a terrible interest in candy. He can't help himself from sneaking quick glances down at Pam; he can hardly handle how cute she is like this.

Easy, Halpert.

When he's done with the plan, she tilts her head up and with an intense seriousness written in on her face, she whispers, "I'm in. Kitchen in five. You bring the thumbtacks."

Their fingers meet in an inconspicuous high one as he straightens up. He grins and pops another jelly bean on the way back to his desk.

--------

Fourteen minutes later, Dwight's been fully set up to have an embarrassingly horrific meeting with Michael and Toby in the conference room. Pam's forehead is against Jim's arm in delighted anticipation and Jim is pretty sure he's in heaven.

Suddenly, from within the conference room there are several shouts and the shadow of an arm flails out, open palm wildly disturbing the Venetian blinds inside. Pam's burst of laughter vibrates through Jim, shaking loose a new wave of affection for her. Jim kind of knows he's staring at her but he couldn't bring himself to look away if Michael were to skip out the conference room door and fire Dwight on the spot. Or even ask Jim to fire Dwight on the spot.

Pam looks up at him, hand over her mouth, and makes her slightly mortified 'It's just so, so sad' face, followed closely by the ever-popular, gleeful 'Score! Let's do it again!' face.

Jim loves that he's the only person on the planet that can read the meaning in those looks. That he's the only person she's ever meant them for.  He greedily stores that knowledge away like a gift.

It's enough, he reminds himself again, because she's so, so close. It has to be.

Jim basks in her smile, trying hard not to notice it sounds less like a reminder and more like a plea.