The first time she says it, they’re in bed. He’s hovering over her, his arms shaking as he leans down to run his tongue over her neck. She gasps and her hips jump, pulling a groan from the back of his throat as he begins to move.
“God Jim,” she says and he looks down at her. His eyes are cloudy, unfocused, and sweat slides down his temple. She reaches a hand up and pushes his hair off his forehead, her eyes sweeping over him. “You’re beautiful.”
The haze they’d found themselves in bends, breaks a little as he smiles down at her. She seems so reverent, so open and honest. And really, he’s never been called beautiful before, and he isn't quite sure what to make of it. “Beautiful?” He teases as he slowly pulls out. Pam opens her mouth to respond, but before she can form words he’s pushing back into her and she’s biting her lip and nodding her head.
His teeth nip playfully at the place where her lobe meets her jaw, and his voice is gravelly as it catches against her ear. “Pam…There’s only one of us here that qualifies as beautiful, and I’m pretty sure it’s you.”
Her eyes open and she tilts her hips into his, causing his head to drop to her shoulder. “Pretty sure?” she asks. “Gee thanks Jim.”
He can feel her pulsing now, getting close. “Has anyone ever mentioned that you talk too much?”
She pushes against his chest until he rolls over, pulling her on top of him. “Shut it, Halpert.”
*******
The second time she says it, they’re standing in the kitchen at the office.
He’d mentioned something about Dwight and Mose and how he thought he could use ping pong to pull off the greatest prank of all time, and she’d countered with a wink and a smirk and an “I’ll be right back.”
A minute later he’s cracking up, doubled over with the counter in one hand to steady himself and a Pam Beesly original in the other. The drawing depicts an overzealous Dwight and a suspiciously subdued Mose battling across a ping pong table.
Pam’s leaned against the refrigerator watching him laugh, a warm cup of tea in her left hand and a warmer light spilling out of her eyes and into his heart. Her gaze is roaming over his face and as he’s pulling himself together she sees a tear escape his eye, the result of too much laughter. “God, Pam, you’re so good at this.” He says as his eyes roam over the paper once again.
“Geez, don’t get weepy on me now, Halpert.” She steps forward and brushes her thumb under his eye, catching the moisture. “I didn’t mean to make you cry, Jim, really. My bad.”
He rolls his eyes but grabs her hand in his own, tangling their fingers. He’s got a giant smile on his face, and the words are out of her mouth before she can check herself. “You’re beautiful.”
His smile fades a little as a sheepish look steels over his face. When she spots the faintest hint of a blush, she leans in and kisses his cheek. “C’mon,” she says as she loops her arm through his. “You need to get back out there. You’ve got work to do.”
His eyebrow quirks at the odd vehemence behind her demand. Pam’s usually shoulder to shoulder with him when it comes to avoiding work at all costs.
“Seriously, Jim, that prank’s not going to initiate itself.” She rubs the spot between his shoulder blades lightly before she pushes him out the door and into the office. “I want detailed plans on my desk in an hour, Halpert. Otherwise I tell everyone you cried in the kitchen.”
*****
The third time she says it, they’re lying on her couch. Her head is on his chest, their arms and legs a tangle of limbs as they watch Lloyd Dobler hold a boom box over his head.
She snuggles in further and presses her lips against his chest. His hand untangles from her hair to smooth down her back. “You ok?”
She nods. “I just love this movie.”
“I know.” He smiles. “Me too.”
She turns to rest her chin on his chest, a playful smile gracing her face. “You know what else I love?”
He’s looking down at her, his hand back in her hair, and her eyes are big, perfect, as she takes him in. He fakes confusion, his heart leaping when the look on his face elicits a laugh from the woman in his arms. “Hmm…I’m not sure. Give me a hint?”
She sits up a little and maneuvers her legs so she’s straddling his hips, her arms sinking into the cushion behind his head. “Well,” she starts as she plants kisses along his forehead, his cheekbone. “This other thing I love is funny.” A hint of tongue on his ear lobe causes his hands to gravitate toward her hips. “It’s silly and caring and completely adorkable.” He chuckles and pinches her side as she lifts her head to look down at him. “Oh, and it’s devastatingly gorgeous.”
He squints his eyes and plays with the hem of her shirt. “Is this thing a person?”
“It is indeed Jim. It is indeed.”
“Wow Pam. So self centered.”
She arched an eyebrow at him.
“You’re definitely funny and silly and I know first hand that you’re very adorkable…But calling yourself gorgeous? I did not know that you were so vain.” She pinched his side in warning. “Such a turn off.”
“I was talking about you Jim.”
“Oh, I see. No only are you vain, but you’re also delusional.”
She knows what he’s doing. The bait’s there and she could easily take it. Instead, she finds herself running a hand over his eyebrow, his cheek, cupping his jaw. “You’re beautiful, Jim.”
He rolls his eyes, but she sees him blush. “This again? Do I need to put you in the corner, Pam?”
“No,” she says. “You always get so embarrassed when I say that. Why? And don’t give me any crap about men not being beautiful. We watched Titanic together and I know how you feel about Leo.”
“Hey! We’d split a bottle of wine that night and if I recall correctly, you brought that up, so…”
Pam nods and runs her hand through his hair, smiling when she realizes her half-hearted attempts at smoothing it out will always be fruitless. “I mentioned the thing about his lips, but you agreed and said he was a very attractive man.”
Jim scoffs and his hands begin to wander up her stomach. “You were obviously too drunk to remember it right, Beesly.”
“Yeah right.”
“Whatever Pam. Whatever.” He shakes his head. “What does this have to do with me being ‘beautiful’ again?”
Pam smirks at him. “First of all, don’t use air quotes, you never do it right. And secondly,” she speaks over his protest, “you are absolutely beautiful. Just admit it.”
He shakes his head in mock exasperation and frames her face with his hands. “No, this is beautiful.” He kisses her but she’s hip to his game and pulls away after a minute.
“That’s not gonna work this time, Halpert.” Her fingers dig into his ribs and find the spot she knows to be the most ticklish. “Just say it.”
“Not going to happen.”
“You’re so difficult.”
“Pot, meet kettle.”
“I hate you.”
“No you don’t. You’ve said that before and I’m pretty sure it’s not true.”
She slides her fingers underneath his t-shirt and leans down to nuzzle against his neck. “I mean it this time.”
“I don’t think so.”
“How do you know?”
He smirks when she tugs at his shirt, lifting it over his head. “Well, apart from the obvious…I’m the thing you love.”
“Really?”
He nods. “Yes, and that’s awesome because you just so happen to be the thing I love!”
“Wow! That really works out well, Jim.” She grins as he removes her shirt. “Now come here, beautiful.”
“Beesly…”
“What!? I’m just sayin…”
Story Notes:
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
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