.
The road stretched for miles and miles in front of them, about 3000 to be more specific. Pam had dozed off an hour outside of Philadelphia. Her face was smashed up against the window and she was starting to fog up her side of the truck. She had her iPod tightly clutched in her hand and she had some God awful playlist on. He had tried to reach over and grab it, but the truck swerved. He figured being alive and listening to some Norah Jones song was better than dying and listening to no song at all.
A few hours later she was stretching and sleepily wiping her eyes.
“How long was I out?”
“We’re about 5 hours away from Chicago.”
“Really? That long?”
He raised his eyebrow at her.
“Don’t say it Jim.”
“That’s what she said.”
She shook her head in disapproval.
“I had to.”
“No, where is that rule written?”
“Oh, I didn’t tell you that I packed a copy of Michael’s manuscript in my bag?”
She shot him a look before checking his bag to see if he was hopefully lying. Her eyes wandered over the things in his bag before falling on a little black box. She glanced sideways at him before reaching her hand in to grab it. But before she even had one finger on it Jim spoke and startled her.
“Can you put something different on?” He looked down and realized that she was inches away from the ring, and he hoped that she hadn’t seen it. “I can’t listen to this mix anymore it’s making me tired.”
“We can switch.” Her hand retreated from the bag and casually placed it between them.
“You sure?” He breathed a sigh of relief when her hand didn’t pull out the box.
“I just slept for 6 hours.”
“Yeah, that would be great if you don’t mind. Then we can stop and get a place to stay when you get tired.”
When they stopped at a gas station he waited till she was inside grabbing snacks and he snuck the ring out and put it in his glove box in his car. He shook his head at himself thinking that he must have been totally out of it when he decided to put the ring somewhere so easy for her to find.
When she got back to the U-haul she had a stare down with the bag. He knew she wasn’t good with surprises. Why would he put something that would pique her interests so out in the open? She crossed her arms in front of her chest. She wasn’t going to look. Jim would show her when he wanted to.
“Ready?” He asked as he climbed in on the passenger’s side.
“Let’s pray I am.” She threw the vehicle into gear before feigning nervousness.
She had somehow managed to keep her curiosity in check for the next few days only having to stop herself once more from looking through his bags.
When they arrived in California she felt it, the hope of their future. She sat stoically in the passenger’s seat trying to remember every feeling before they pulled up to the apartment building. His hand reached out for hers and his thumb ran across the back of her hand. That little gesture said so much. It was reassurance that this was really happening, and she didn’t have to stop and pinch herself.
They walked up to the door and Jim fumbled with the keys as he tried to balance a lamp he had resting on his knee. She laughed at him before she relieved him of his lamp.
“After a few trips you’re going to be wishing you brought something up the first time.”
When they reached the apartment he glanced back at her smiling wide because he knew that everything was better than he hoped for in this moment.
“Welcome home,” he said as he threw the door open.
Home? It suddenly hit her, she could be calling this place home soon. This place was going to be her home!
He gestured for her to go in first and he placed his lone lamp next to the door.
“This is really nice Jim, and I’m not just saying that. I mean, wow, can you afford this?”
“’Haha, yes I can afford this place.”
They spent the rest of the day moving essential items up to the apartment and he kept throwing the lamp back in her face. Asking, “Don’t you wish you would have brought something up now?”
“Can’t say that I do.” She began to secretly plan the demise of that lamp. And she practiced saying “oops, how did that fall from there. Guess we’ll need to buy a new one” in her head.
Pam was lying in the center of his new bed, bouncing her body against it.
“What are you doing?” He asked while finally plugging in that damn lamp across the room.
“I’m trying to decide if this bed is firmer than the bed you had in your room.” She moved her shoulders from side to side.
“And you can’t just do that with your hand?”
“Well it isn’t my hands that will be subjected to the firmness of this bed.”
“Right,” he said now standing above her. “That makes perfect sense.”
“I’m just looking out for your back.”
“Scoot over, Beesly.”
She wiggled her body to the side. He laid down next to her mimicking her movements from before.
“I don’t know Pam, it doesn’t feel any different.”
“I’m gonna buy a pillow top cover for it.”
He rolled over to her side and watched her working out this issue in her head. She bit at her bottom lip and he reached out his hand and gently moved her face until she was looking at him.
“Thank you for coming out her with me.”
She inched her body closer to him.
“Thank you for asking me,” she said inches away from his mouth. She moved in closer and waited for him to get the hint and just kiss her already. When he took too long she crinkled her nose in annoyance.
He moved his mouth up to the tip of her nose before returning to her mouth with a small peck. Her mouth shifted into a smile that slowly became a toothy grin. She nestled her nose against his cheek and closed her eyes, and he watched her float off into sleep. That’s how they spent their first night in the apartment, lying on top of a sheetless bed, still tangled together despite all of the room they now had to sleep on.
He kissed her on the cheek and she stirred a little before settling in his arms again. Right here, he could stay here forever, across from the future Mrs. Jim Halpert.
.
Author's Chapter Notes:
And we've finally reached the end. I apologize for the delay. I wrote an epic chapter based in the future and then my beta, elly, pointed out that I was screwing you all on an ending. She was right. So here's an actual ending and not some gut wrenching roll coaster ride.
Chapter End Notes:
It's weird to be done with that, my first fanfic. I had no idea that it would be so long when I started this. You guys have been amazing the whole way through. Thanks again for all of your comments. They truly kept me motivated.
italianfood is the author of 4 other stories.
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