After taking a moment fumbling with her keys, Pam unlocked the front door to her apartment building. She stepped inside, waiting for Jim, who was grabbing something out of the back seat of his car. She tensed as he slipped on the walkway, but he regained his footing quickly before falling into the snow. She pushed open the door for him and giggled at his look of relief.

She must have been nervous to have Jim in her new "this is all part of my single life" apartment because she fumbled with her keys again at her door. Attributing it to cold hand, she hoped he didn't think twice about it. The new Pam Beesly was also a klutz and bundle of nerves around him.

After shutting the door, she turned to see Jim's hand outstretched to help her with her coat. She loved this part of Jim-maybe more than any other part (so far)-the sensitive side. He hung up their coats as she shook the snow from her hair. "I'm gonna run and change real quick if that's okay."

"That's fine."

"Um, make yourself at home," she said over her shoulder as she disappeared into what Jim could only guess was her bedroom. He watched her for a moment, but when she started to lift her sweater over her head, he turned his head away quickly.

He sat down on the couch, taking in his surroundings. He had only ever been to Pam's once before, but that was long before he told her how he felt, and long before she broke things off with Roy. This place was different from her place with Roy. He could only imagine her in there on a day off, the sun shining in the big windows at the end of the lining room and in the dining area. He noticed she had an easel sitting by one of the windows, covered in a white sheet. He got up to look at some of her art, but before he could lift the sheet on the easel, he heard her reenter the room.

"So, how do you like your coffee?"

He turned to see her in the kitchen. She was wearing pink sweatpants, a light pink camisole, and a zip-up sweatshirt. Her hair was pulled back into a scrunchie, but a few strands fell into her face. He couldn't help but think that she looked pretty that way. She seemed so natural like that.

She was lifting the teapot he gave her for Christmas off the stove, filling it with water. "Hmm?"

"Oh, uh, black is fine." He loosened his tie and sat back down on the couch. He could get used to this. No. He had to stop thinking about stuff like that. They were friends and he should be happy with that. He had to stop thinking about her like he could just tell her he loved her and she would tell him that back-didn't work last time. "Nice teapot," he commented after a moment to cover the awkward silence. "Someone obviously had really good taste."

Pam lifted the teapot and looked it over, wrinkling her nose. "Nah. I just keep use it since I don't have a nicer one."

"Ouch. That hurts Beesly, that hurts."

She pouted at him. "Oh, you know I love this teapot," she said, stopping to trace a finger over the spout. "Just like the person who gave it to me." A shocked look crossed her face as she turned quickly from him. She had just said that. It just slipped out. She really hadn't meant to say that-sure she was thinking it, but letting it slip was another thing.

"Really?"

She could hear the apprehension and slight intrigue in his voice. She barely whispered "Fuck" before awkwardly answering, "Yeah, Dwight has really grown on me." She tried to blow it off, reminding him of the trade she had made to get the teapot back, but she knew it wouldn't be that easy. After taking a long, deep breath, she turned with the coffee cups and headed towards Jim.

He sat there quietly, looking her way, obviously attempting to not show emotion. It couldn't be easy since he gulped when she sat down next to him. "Thanks." He sounded like he was going through puberty again. The cracks in his voice made her more nervous.

She tried to sip her coffee without looking at him. This was Jim. Her best friend. Why this was so difficult so couldn't figure. When she finally did look over at him, he smiled over the rim of his coffee cup. That smile made her body relax and her mind drift to thoughts that would initiate another sexual harassment seminar from Toby. She simply smiled back, lowering the cup to her lap. He followed her movements.

"So, how are things?"

"Fine," he answered, almost laughing at how awkward things were getting. "You?"

"Oh, things are things." There was an awkward silence where Jim lifted his cup to his lips again. "You and Karen okay?"

He spit the coffee back into the cup out of pure instinct as he knew it was that or her white rug. "Um, we broke up." He couldn't look at her, but he could tell she wasn't looking at him either.

"Oh." That was it. She just needed the confirmation. Now she had it.

"Um," he said as he shifted to the edge of his seat. "I think I'm gonna head home. Need to get some stuff done before I hit the sack."

She eagerly got up and followed him to the door-too eagerly. He picked his bag up off the floor after putting his wet jacket back on. He turned to open the door, but kept his eyes on Pam-well, his peripheral vision on her. After opening the door and stepping out into the hall, he turned fully to say goodbye to her. "Thanks for the coffee."

"Thanks for the ride."

"No problem Beesly." He turned to leave, but her words stopped him.

"You remember that time you told me I had to ‘take a chance on something sometime'?"

He turned back to face her. She had taken a step towards him, now standing so close he could make out each freckle on her face. There were many and he began to realize he loved those freckles. They were close like in the parking lot of Dunder-Mifflin when she broke his heart the first time. "Yeah. When you were thinking about that internship."

She nodded. "Well, I've been thinking a lot about that lately."

"The internship? That's great. Is it still available-"

"No," she stopped him, putting her hand on his arm. "Not that. Just-taking chances in general."

"Oh."

She looked to the floor behind him, afraid if she looked at him she wouldn't be able to get the words out. "Yeah, well, I was thinking, you've taken a lot of chances and I never do. So, now it's time I take one. You told me you loved me."

He got quiet and looked away from her as he always did when she started talking bout things that unnerved him. "Pam-"

"No, let me do this. I didn't tell you I loved because I was scared, which is the worst excuse, I know, but it's the truth. When you told me, I got scared because the feelings I had for you were, well, they were there. I didn't know what to do. I messed up."

"Pam-"

"No." She looked up at him finally. "This is coming out a hell of a lot better than I thought it would. Please let me finish." Here it was, out on the line. She decided there was no time like the present to bear it all, "I love you, Jim. I think I always have and I would completely understand if you didn't love me anymore, but I needed you to know that I did feel that way about you. That I feel that way about you." She looked back down, embarrassed.

Before she knew it, her chin was being lifted and she was being kissed. Kissed by the man in the hall she had just confessed her deepest feelings to. Her hands found their way behind his head as his arms wrapped around her. There was no desk to lean against, so she leaned into him to keep from falling backwards.

They pulled back, panting and smiling at one another. Pam and Jim going at it in the hallway of her apartment building, not something she saw happening in her near future. Her neighbor had seen it, however, and made her presence known by clearing her throat. Pam glanced around Jim's shoulder and-after a rather dirty look-pulled Jim into her apartment by the lapels of his coat. She continued to lead him until he shut the door and dropped his bag. She pushed his coat off his shoulders and dropped it on the floor behind them.

He dropped his forehead down to rest it on hers. "Pam."

"Hmm?" She looked into his eyes and could see something in them that was new. A sparkle? Yes. Jim's eyes had a sparkle in them.

Instead of speaking, he leaned in and kissed her again. She was up on her tiptoes and he still had to lean down to her. His arms were wrapped around her while her fingers played with the hair near the nape of his neck. She sighed into his lips, making him more content in his actions. He pulled away again. "What are we doing Beesly?"

She laughed, "Of all people, Jim, I would think you would recognize ‘making out' when you saw it." She had pulled back just enough to make air quotes at him.

"First off, this isn't making out, yet. Second, I can't see us. And third, I can't believe you just made air quotes at me."

She took his hand and led him to the couch. Sitting next to him, she ran her had along his jaw. He took her face in his hands and began kissing her again. She grabbed his neck and leaned back, pulling him with her. Her head lay back on the arm of the couch and she refused to let Jim go. He wasn't protesting, however.

They stayed that way for hours-kissing and laughing. A few pieces of clothing found their way to the floor, but not many. They simply "made out" as Pam had put it-for three and a half hours straight mind you-before curling into one another on the couch. Jim lay against the back of the couch, head on the arm. Pam lay half on top of him, cheek on his chest, facing so she could look up into his smiling face. She never wanted to move from that spot, ever. As she drifted off to sleep, she couldn't help but think Jim gave some of the best advice ever.

"Don't think sleep will get you out of talking to me, Beesly."

"What if I'm sleeping with you?"

"Well now, that's an entirely different story." He wrapped his arm around her and snuggled into her soft hair. That was a story he liked very much.

def'n: telling someone you love them in the hallway of your apartment building and then making out with them on the couch like a couple of teenagers.