10

"It was killing me. Just killing me." He keeps his tone and expression steady, but he feels that familiar delicate, rising sense of vertigo that he always gets when they joke like this.

This is what made me love this story. It sums up first and second season Jim so perfectly and completely. You've captured their brand of sexual tension so wonderfully; it's painful and dangerous and heartbreaking and thrilling all at the same time. I usually don't like it when authors write another first kiss for Jim and Pam that happens before Casino Night, but you've really nailed it here.

One bit of criticism. It was sometimes a little unclear what the setting was. I didn't realize jim had come back inside after putting the tree out. That's all. Fantastic job :)

Author's Response: I\'ve found that, in a well-established fic community like this one, one must sometimes invent events that stretch the canon just a hair if one doesn\'t want to move through well-trod territory. I\'m very determined to play around with the possibilities without stretching plausability too much, as pushing it too far does make me uncomfortable. I\'m glad you think I succeeded. In response to your criticism, I thought I made the fact that he had come back inside fairly clear when I wrote - \"When he comes back in, Pam, her coat on, is leaning against her desk, staring out into the room. His bag is on the floor next to her and the mistletoe is on the counter at her side. \"Ready?\" she asks when he walks in.\" I\'ll take it under advisement, though. Thanks for your review.\r\n\r\n