Pam carefully extricated herself from Jim’s arm and shrugged out of her sweatshirt, suddenly feeling too warm. She heard him groan next to her, disturbed by her movement.

Jim arched his back and yawned. “Are we there yet?” His eyes were half-closed with sleep and Pam couldn’t stop herself from reaching up to smooth down the left side of his hair, which was sticking straight out.

“Not yet. We must have fallen asleep.” Pam felt Jim’s eyes on her face, but she concentrated on her fingers in his hair and then lightly touched his left ear with her fingertips, thinking. Finally she let her eyes meet his and smiled brightly. “Turn around and try to guess my message!” Jim raised his eyebrows at her. “We have already established my immaturity, Halpert.” He smirked but turned toward the aisle obligingly.

Pam turned to face Jim’s back, one leg crossed beneath her. She took a deep breath and raised her hands to his shoulders. Pam took longer than was strictly necessary clearing her “slate,” smoothing Jim’s t-shirt against his back as though adjusting the fit of a new suit coat. She traced the first letters that came to mind.

“Dwight sucks? That was your message? Come on, Pam, I don’t think you’re even trying.” Jim laughed.

“Fine. Your turn--and it had better be awesome, Mr. Superior McKnows-It-All.” Pam folded her arms, trying to look offended, and offered her back to Jim. She felt his hands on her shoulder blades, fingertips grazing the skin at the edges of her tank top. Pam found herself breathing a bit harder as she pictured his long fingers carefully writing the letters on her back or gently brushing her shirt smooth between each one. After a few minutes Jim leaned in and Pam could feel his breath hot on her collarbone.

“Well?” She could hear the expectant smile in his voice.

Pam realized she had not attempted to decipher even one letter. “Um. I wasn’t really...paying attention?” She winced and kept staring out the window, afraid of what Jim’s response would be. He slid his hands to cover her upper arms, and Pam gasped as she felt his lips brush her shoulder.

“You never wear your hair up,” Jim breathed, and kissed the curve of her neck lightly. Pam heard a tiny sound escape her throat and she tilted her head a little to the side to allow him more room to work. Instead of another kiss, Pam felt Jim freeze, and he suddenly dropped his hands from her arms and sat back in his own seat, carefully leaving several inches between them. “I’m sorry,” he said almost mechanically, looking down at his hands.

Pam whirled around in her seat to face him again, desperate to let him know it was okay. She looked into his face, but Jim wouldn’t meet her eyes. She pulled one of his hands into her lap, absently running her fingers over his knuckles. “Jim, I...I just...” she looked at him pleadingly.

“What, Pam?” He looked up at her, his hazel eyes dark and sad.

“I wanted…I thought…on the trip tonight…” She paused, hoping that somehow he would just know what it was that she couldn’t say, that he could read it in her eyes.

Jim kept his voice low, but his tone was serious, almost desperate. “Pam, I can’t do this. Please just tell me what you want. I know we’re friends, but now you’re right here, and you’re so gorgeous, and you smell amazing, and I’m pretty sure you’re flirting with me, and I just need you to tell me exactly where we stand. And if we’re just friends, then I need to just be friends.”

Pam felt tears starting to form, but she blinked them back fiercely. Her eyes found Jim’s mouth, and she dropped his hand and reached for his face, leaning in for a kiss that would make him understand.

“Pam.” Jim held her away from him, his hands strong at her elbows. There was a new look in his eyes now that Pam couldn’t quite read. “You know I want nothing more than to kiss you right now. But I need you to tell me what you want. Say it. In words.”

Pam wanted to laugh hysterically, but she took a deep breath and looked back at Jim. It’s now or never. “Jim.” Pam had to steady herself with another deep breath. “I am so in love with you. You--”

Before she could say any more, Jim was kissing her. His hands were on her waist, her back, pulling her into his lap. Relief flooding through every part of her, Pam relaxed and kissed him back, hard. She felt his lips curve up into a smile and pulled back. Jim chuckled, and Pam couldn’t help but laugh herself. “What?”

Jim shook his head at her. “Now, Beesly, was that so hard?”