The Tension and The Spark
Part 5
by Karen H and Paula J

The sun shone through the blinds of the front window and caused Joey to open her eyes. It took a few minutes for her to wake up, rubbing her eyes and yawning. Then she realized where she was. She turned in her chair and saw Jon already in the office working on something. Her watch read 7am so it wasn’t too late, but here she was sitting at her desk wearing the same clothes she wore yesterday.

Last night after she ran from the office upon hearing of Dawson’s impending move she went home. As she entered her apartment she broke down. The tears flowed from her eyes in steady streams and she had to steady herself on the door to keep from falling. Eventually she fell to floor and her cries subsided. ‘Why am I doing this?’ she asked herself. ‘He’s leaving, not dying. And besides, why do I care?’ she blew her red nose on her handkerchief and pulled herself up. Her heart was pounding still and she knew that she had to tell him, just like she planned to earlier that night.

Her heels clicked on the stairs as she walked down them as fast as she could. ‘I care because I don’t want him to go.” She said with a smile as she picked up her pace that would carry her back to the office and back to him.

When she arrived back at the office everyone was gone. It was 11 o’ clock, but she decided to get some work done since she was there and that is where she woke up.

As she regained some semblance of being awake she turned to look at his office door. Something she had done so much lately that it was more of a reflex than anything else. She could tell her hadn’t come in yet and she was happy. He couldn’t see her this way. She needed to get home and changed. She grabbed her bag and was about to stand up.

“Hey Joey,” Kyle asked as he tapped her on the shoulder, causing her to jump slightly.

“Hey Kyle,” she said bringing her hands to her hair, hoping she looked somewhat presentable.

“I knew you came in early, but this must be a record for you. You were here when I got in at 6:30.”

“Yeah I just wanted to get caught up. I actually have to go right now-“

“Well before you go let me ask you something. After the speech tonight some of us were going to go out for some drinks and dancing. You up for it? I thought since maybe our last date didn’t turn out so well that-“

“Sure Kyle sounds like fun,” she said quickly, not really sure of what she was agreeing to. She just wanted to get out of there and finally speak to Dawson.

Dawson entered the office to find much activity for 7:30 in the morning. He whistled as he walked by the workers bustling around and stopped when he saw Joey’s desk, empty. He came in early on purpose hoping to find her, but she wasn’t there. He looked to see Kyle standing near the copier room. He had never actually spoken to Kyle; but he did know that he was Joey’s “date” that night at the bar.

“Hey Kyle,” Dawson smiled cordially, hoping to see if he knew where he could find Joey.

“Oh,” Kyle said turning to see him and snapped back when he saw it was Dawson. “Good Morning Mr. Leery.”

“Has Joey been in this morning? I just needed to speak with her about something, um something about tonight,” he said trying as hard as he could to sound professional. Although he and Joey never spoke about keeping whatever they had a secret, it was very much implied.

“Yeah she was in already-“

“Ok!” Dawson said with a little too much enthusiasm in his voice because Kyle turned to see his expression. “So where is she now? Did she already go to the center?”

“Actually I have no idea where she is,” Kyle said smugly. He picked up his papers and walked quickly down the hall.

Dawson looked towards her desk once more but once again found it empty. The ache that had been building inside since last night was only growing larger as he stood there. All he could think of that would appease this pain was finding her. He just had to find her.

His suit jacket caught a gust of wind as he exited the office and made his way down the now familiar street. As he walked briskly all he could think of was walking this same path with Joey just two days ago. How easy was it for them to act like they had all the time in the world to talk, to get to know each other. His leaving was always in the back of their minds, but it didn’t come forward till Patrick made the announcement. That’s why she ran and that’s why he stood still. His leaving was always known to them, but it was never thought of. How could he leave? How could he leave when they were just starting to see what they had been feeling since that night in Iowa?

The line at starbucks was just starting to form and Dawson pushed his way past the caffeine deprived masses. Once inside he scanned the line as well as the rest of the people in the shop. He was hoping Joey had stopped in for a quick coffee between the office and the center, but he didn’t see her. He did notice Keith, the man Joey said hello to, standing outside having a smoke.

“Do you remember me?” Dawson asked coming to stand beside him.

“Tall mocha frap,” Keith mumbled.

“Yeah, that’s me,” Dawson replied a little shocked that he was known not by his name or appearance but by his choice in drinks.

“And you were with Joey right? The brunette who works for the Kerry Campaign?”

“Yeah-“

“She’s a nice girl. Always says hello, doesn’t complain about waiting. And she says ‘Hello Keith’, not just hello.”

“She’s actually a great girl,” Dawson interjected with smile.

Keith turned to see Dawson’s face and spoke. “Hold on to her.”

“What?”

“I have been flirting with that girl for two years and nothing. Sure she’s nice, but that’s it. But when she came in here with you. I have never seen her like that before. So what ever you do, don’t let her go.”

“I-“ Dawson started, wanting to ask him if he knew where she was, but he stopped. “Thanks. I’m going to try.”

And with that he was off, not to find her, but to head to work. He knew she would be there later in the day. With these extra few hours he could think of what he could tell her that would even begin to covey how he was feeling.

Adrenaline raced through Joey’s body as she tried to keep herself from collapsing from exhaustion. Running around the Fleet Center, overseeing all of the volunteers and staff members at the convention, as the delegates were beginning to arrive, she felt like she could sleep for days. Despite people constantly calling her name, needing something from her, she couldn’t help but hang around the Fleet Center, wandering around and being overly helpful to the staff with one ulterior motive. She wanted to see Dawson; she wanted to just catch a glimpse of him, especially now that his time in Boston and near her was limited.

She wasn’t jealous of his promotion or opportunity to go to Washington, but whenever she thought about him leaving and her staying in Boston after the convention, something in her chest burned, but she wasn’t sure what it was. Bitterness or was it something more, deeper?

Watching the delegates file in on the floor and overseeing the camera placement and press passes, Dawson found himself barely listening to Ron, the cameraman, talk to him as he secured the sound check and lighting. Dawson was scanning the crowd looking at everyone dressed in outlandish outfits and funny hats. But the person he was really looking for was dressed very simple, in a suit and white top, her hair pulled back yet coming loose from its bun. He was looking for Joey. They had not spoke or seen each other since Patrick’s announcement yesterday and part of him wanted to steal a moment with her, to tell her something, anything.

“Dawson did you hear me?” Ron said, interrupting Dawson’s thoughts.

“No I’m sorry I didn’t,” he laughed softly, rolling his eyes and getting a laugh from Ron.

“Looking for someone?” he asked, looking over Dawson’s shoulder and onto the floor.

“Ah, yeah another staff member, I needed to talk to her before this gets started,” he lied, hoping that Ron believed him.

“Well the only senior staff people here right now outside of you are Patrick and Joey,” Ron said. “Patrick is checking in with Kerry’s staff and making sure that is set to go and Joey is….oh right over there near the stage.”

Hearing her name, Ron finally finding her in the crowd, Dawson felt his chest jump and anxiously looked over at the podium and stage to see her standing there, talking with an aide, laughing loudly, although he couldn’t hear her. Before he could say thank you, Joey turned and looked up, as if she knew someone was looking right at her. Catching his glance, Dawson felt his heart stop as they just looked at each other, him trying to tell her with his eyes everything he wanted to say but somehow couldn’t.

“Dawson do you see her?” Ron asked, breaking their glance, causing Dawson to scowl a bit.

“Yeah I see her, I’ll be right back,” Dawson said quickly, turning back to see her again, but she was gone, causing his heart to sink.

Catching her breath behind the curtain, Joey could still feel her heart racing as she recovered from her moment with Dawson, well the look they shared. That was the first time she saw him since yesterday, and although she hoped for that moment all day, she wanted more, but wasn’t sure if she could have it.

“Joey are you okay?” Patrick asked, interrupting her thoughts and causing her to jump. “Jumpy much?”

“I’m sorry I was thinking of something else and you frightened me a bit,” Joey laughed, getting her thoughts back together.

“Well things are going to get rolling here very soon, why don’t you join me in the VIP booth near the candidates families for the big speech,” Patrick said, putting his arm platonically around Joey as they walked to the main floor.

“Thanks but I’ll stay on the floor, I like the excitement and energy of the crowd,” she said, seeing a volunteer motion for her to join him. “Thanks though.”

“No problem, more room for the boys,” Patrick teased, seeing Joey roll her eyes and push him away playfully. Walking across the floor toward the booth and media center, Patrick saw Dawson cutting through the crowd with a determined look on his face. “Dawson, where are you going so quickly?”

“Ah getting a good spot for the speeches,” Dawson stammered a bit, caught off guard.

“Forget about the floor for now, come with me to the VIP booth, you’ll get a much better look of everything up there,” Patrick said firmly, leading Dawson, who hesitated slightly, away with him as Dawson continued to look for Joey on the floor.

The roar of the crowd and colorful signs showing the support of the speakers filled the Fleet Center, Joey cheering happily from the sidelines, waiting like everyone for the big moment of the last three days, something she had worked so hard to bring to conclusion. As everyone began to speak, talking about the new hope and determination for America, Joey discreetly looked around the floor, hoping she might see Dawson or someone else from the office. The hoards of delegates were everywhere, packed in so tight, Joey could barely breathe, but it was exciting.

Up in the VIP booth, filled with producers, candidate’s families and Democratic Party bigwigs, Dawson discreetly scanned the crowd for Joey after Patrick mentioned she preferred the floor for her spot. He clapped when appropriate and cheered along with the crowd, but part of him wanted so badly to see her again, hoping privately for another moment or look between them. Scanning around the left side of the floor, squinting during Kerry’s video that brought the lights down in the Fleet Center, Dawson felt his heart stop when he finally found her, wiping her forehead and fanning herself, obviously warm with everyone packed in tightly around her.

Hearing Patrick laugh behind him and call for him, Dawson turned around quickly, making sure Joey didn’t move from her spot and took off, excusing himself for a moment, knowing and hoping that he would be gone for longer than that. Rushing down the stairs he took off for the floor hoping she had not moved.

As highly energetic and excited as the crowd was, Joey could only partially listen to Kerry’s speech because she couldn’t focus. Shaking her head and closing her eyes, she tried to focus on him, until she felt a hand on her should, pulling her around. Ready to chew someone out for doing this, she stopped cold when she saw who it was, Dawson staring right at her.

Staring wantingly at each other, Joey turned to him, mouthing what she wants to scream out loud but can’t.

"I want you to stay."

Sharing a passionate look, Dawson and Joey made their way through the bustling crowd as Kerry was almost midway through his speech, they knew it was important but at that precise moment all they cared about was each other. Her hand was firmly locked as she pulled him outside, holding his hand tightly, Joey tried to hail a cab, anxious to get away from the noise of the city and the convention and be alone.

“Damnit, come on,” she muttered, unable to get a cab. Hearing someone laugh softly behind her, she turned; surprised that Dawson was just staring at her furrowed brow. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing,” he said, moving in closer to kiss her, both hesitating a bit before sharing a tentative kiss, enjoying the feel of each other’s lips, letting them linger a bit. Pulling back to look at her, he saw her smile and the look of want and desire in her eyes. “Joey?” he started, trying to put what he felt into words.

“It’s okay, I want this, I want you to,” she said quickly, propelling herself in his arms, letting the romance around them drive them forward. The hidden attraction and desire seemed to finally explode between them, hidden for so long, and disguised merely as “friendship.”

The kisses became hotter and harder between them, trying to touch as much as they could of one another, knowing that tomorrow he would be gone and Joey would still be in Boston, alone again. It felt like hours that they were kissing shamelessly and unembarassingly in front of the Fleet Center before Dawson pulled away and frantically waved down a cab coming down the street, taking a sigh of relief when it stopped for them.

“Guess you have the magic touch,” Joey smiled as he pulled her in the cab, both anxious to kiss each other again, but reserving their rather ardent signs of affection as the cab flew down the streets to Joey’s Georgetown apartment.

The cab ride was quiet, Joey's hand still in his as she glanced out the window. Does he really have to go? They weren't involved and they'd agreed to be friends but for some reason that wasn't sitting well with Joey. They'd agreed to be friends, so how come Joey felt as though someone was dying, as though she was losing someone. But how could that be? They barely knew one another.

At the same moment, Dawson had looked down at their inter-locked hands. After she had said those words, or rather after she had mouthed those five words things seemed to stand still and suddenly he found her hand was in his. He couldn't remember if he had taken her hand or she had taken his, but he knew he liked holding her hand. He knew he liked a lot of things about her, even though he barely knew anything about her. Had she really meant what she said? Did she really want him to stay?

They both knew that they were hopefully about to find out the answer to their question.

Joey turned her head as the cab drove down her street and found that Dawson was looking at her. She smiled at him, wondering what he was thinking about, was he thinking the same things as she was? Was he thinking about his move?

Dawson squeezed her hand and lifted their co-joined hands to his mouth, kissing her knuckles. He could get used to moments like this, could she? Would she want to?

While Dawson paid the cab driver, Joey made her way up the front steps and he followed her a moment later. Both their minds set on the conversation that would surely take place once they'd entered her apartment. Her mind set on not wanting to hear or believe he was leaving and his set on how he was going to find it in himself to say goodbye.

As she turned the key in the lock she wondered if she'd left it tidy enough, had she even taken the time to switch the light on in the hallway.

Upon opening the door she found the hallway dimly lit. Throwing the key on a table she extracted herself from her coat as did Dawson from his and it seemed an eternity since either of them had spoken.

"Would you like something to drink?" Joey found herself saying instead of the 'I want you to stay' that was playing in her head again. Maybe part of her was trying to avoid the inevitable conversation, scared he'd tell her it was just a one time thing. "Coffee, tea, milk...juice?"

"Coffee would be good,” Dawson replied, even though in his head he was asking her if she really wanted him to stay. Could she really feel the same way he felt about her?

"Okay, make yourself comfortable,” Joey said, gesturing towards the living room.

Dawson found himself looking around the spacious living room, curiously picking up some of the books and pictures covering her furniture and shelves. He saw some pictures of Joey with a few different people and wondered who they were, when were they taken. A part of him wished he'd made some sort of impact on her life so that his picture would one day reside with these, but he had to face up to his leaving tomorrow.

He played a potential conversation over and over in his head. What she'd say, how he'd respond, her counter. Would something between them work given how it had begun? The more he had been thinking over it the more he believed it was not just something purely physical, there seemed to be something there on another level. And she'd been on his mind ever since he'd seen her.

Back in the kitchen, Joey tried to stay composed, willing herself to be able to keep her cool. The truth of the matter was she was a wreck inside. Their entire relationship started as a one night stand, the only one night stand and she'd never expected something that started like that to have any impact on her, but it did. Dawson consumed most of her thoughts since the moment he'd walked back into her life and she felt somehow connected to him, like she really knew him.

Opening a cupboard she tried to recall where she kept the sugar. She never took it in her coffee and she didn't know if Dawson did or didn't but she could hardly give him coffee without all the potential necessities.

"When you said you were going to make coffee, did you mean you were going to start by growing the coffee beans?" Dawson called, laughing slightly at the end.

"I'm trying to remember where I keep the sugar,” she told him lightly, jumping a bit when she turned around and he was standing in her doorway. "Just in case."

"Why didn't you just come and ask if I took sugar, it might save you having to look for it,” he replied with a smile on his face.

"Ok then, do you take sugar in your coffee?"

"As a matter of fact," he began walking towards her his smile turning to a grin. "I do."

Joey rolled her eyes at him and went back to looking for the sugar. "I'd have found it by now ya know?"

"Yeah, probably,” he replied as he began to look in the cupboard over her shoulder.

"There it is,” Joey said, leaning up to reach it, suddenly aware of how close he was to her.

"I'll get it,” Dawson said almost against her ear, his hot breath on her skin and as he moved forward he caught her slightly between himself and the counter. Once the sugar was in his hands he took a step back and as he placed it on the counter his bare arm grazed Joey's.

It was like his touch seemed to scorch her, sending something through her body and she had had the same effect on him.

Joey wanted to say something, tell him again how she felt, but tell him in more detail however the words seemed to be catching at the back of her throat. She tried to avert her eyes from his in case they gave anything away about how she was feeling but she found she couldn't look away.

Dawson wondered if she felt it too, a tingle when their skin had touched. He wanted to ask her, wanted to ask her so many things, who were the pictures of in her living room and casually slip in asking if she thought maybe one day his picture would be among them.

"There's something I have to tell you Joey."

"What's that?" she asked, trying to sound calm and maintain control.

"I don't take sugar in my coffee."

"Huh?” she asked, confused. "Then why..." The question began to form in her head, and maybe she even started to ask it but in all honesty she just didn't care why he said he took sugar.

Without much thought, their head unconsciously moved closer to one another and within seconds their lips were touching, soft at first before the hunger took over.

One of her hands on his hip, the other on his chest between them while one of his was wrapped around her waist and the other in her hair. Joey felt herself fall against the counter as her lips continued to glide against his and her hands moved over his chest. Dawson's hands also appeared to have taken on a life of their own, caressing her back and her sides; one hand grazing the side of her left breast and her lips parted at the slight surprise and his tongue entered her mouth, seeking refuge.

The kiss was broken and both were breathless, Joey touched her lips and at the same time they both said, "I'm sorry" before looking at each other with a surprised look.

There was a brief silence.

Dawson expected her to say maybe this was a mistake, he was leaving tomorrow and his being here would only make it harder on her to say goodbye. Harder on her to move on.

Joey expected him to mumble something about an early flight or that he couldn't do this or it had been a one night thing, why repeat it again. Or there was the possibility that he'd say he couldn't go through with it because it would make it harder to say goodbye.

"I thought..." Joey said, trailing off. "You thought..."

Dawson could feel her steady breathing against his neck and she bit her lip and he noticed that her eyes had drifted from his eyes to his lips and back again. Or maybe he'd imagined it because if she had done that it was a quick wavering of her gaze.

His hands went around her waist again and he pulled her against him as his lips kissed her briefly before he whispered in her ear over and over, "I'm not sorry, I'm not sorry."

Joey’s hands moved to his hair and in a breathy tone whispered "neither am I." Before lips met lips and hands roamed once more. Both moaning and sighing with different touches.

He started to back them towards the hallway as her hands moved to quickly undo his shirt buttons and he undid the zipper on the back of her skirt. Her skirt dropped to the floor in the kitchen and as they made it into the hallway his shirt quickly followed.

As Dawson started to kiss towards her neck he pulled her towards the left, taking a few steps backwards with her body pulled closer against his and she touched his cheek.

"Wrong way," she told him as her hands found there way down to the top of his pants and she tried to undo the zipper put could barely move her hand. As he started to move her towards the other direction Joey pushed him against the wall, managing to finally undo his pants.

"Someone's a little impatient," Dawson said into her hair and Joey looked up at him and kissed him quickly.

"I'm not the only one,” Joey replied as he started to lift her top up and she lifted her arms so he could remove it.

He also somehow managed to remove his shoes as their hands began to roam over each others bodies once more. Cupping her breasts as they moved closer to her bedroom; Joey traced the outline of one of his nipples before playfully squeezing his ass and pushing his pants down.

She let out a small yelp as he pushed her against the wall after lifting her slightly and his bulging erection pressed against her. Her lips found his again while he made an attempt to remove her bra but couldn't seem to undo the clasp.

"I'll do it," Joey mumbled impatiently into his mouth and while she worked on undoing the clasp and removing the garment, he began kissing down her body; the swell of her breast, her navel and as his lips grazed her inner thigh he pushed against the fabric of her bikini. She arched her back away from the wall and placed one of her hands in his hair. "Take it!" she breathed and he was quick to obey.

Watching him undress her, Joey tried to process everything, commit is to memory, hoping she'd never forget this but she was also trying to retain control and the audible moans escaping her lips would lead anyone to believe she didn't have control, she was quickly losing grip.

His fingers were...his lips were...oh God, she wasn't going to be able to wait much longer, and Joey wasn't even able to put many thoughts together as she ran her hands through his hair.

"Dawson..." she managed to blurt out breathlessly in an attempt to make him stop. "Dawson, I...stop."

He heard her and stopped to look up at her flushed face. Her eyes were half closed and she was trying to regain control of her breathing as she ran her fingers through his hair. Maybe they were taking it too far, the thought crossed his mind. Weren't they supposed to talk?

"Jo..." Dawson began but she cut him off.

"Together,” she gasped, trying to gather her voice.

Dawson got to his feet and kissed her as she wrapped her arms around his neck. The kiss intensifying as they stumbled a few more steps towards the bedroom, knocking over a vase on a table just outside her bedroom.

He leaned her against the table and he moved to open her bedroom door but she caught his arms and placed his hands on her breasts as she pushed his boxers off.

"Now?" he asked reading the impatience in her eyes.

Joey nodded; slightly biting her lip as she purposefully grazed his erection with her inner thigh.

She wrapped her arms around him as he filled her up, unable to muffle a moan. As she adjusted to his length, he moved her hair over her shoulder before kissing it.

Hoping to give him the hint, Joey thrust her hips into him and lightly bit on his shoulder. He started to move against her, slow at first before both quickened their pace. His lips moved to a spot on her neck he remembered to be sensitive and she threw her head back before wrapping her arms tighter around him.

Joey caught sight of herself in the mirror that faced her bedroom door and saw what he would see when he looked at her as her face contorted in pleasure. It seemed kind of erotic.

"I want...you to...stay," she managed to blurt out, her breathing already raged.

"I want to stay,” Dawson managed to say as she dug her fingernails into his skin.

They continued to moan and writhe against one another, his hands still on her hips pulling her back into him, both ignoring the clatter of the phone falling off of the table.

"Stay...with…me," she repeated before everything seemed to go dark for a moment as she jumped over the edge.

Dawson continued to move against her as she still breathed heavily, clinging to him and she started to bit on his earlobe before blowing on it. A few moments later he came.

They stayed there for a few moments both trying to get their breathing back in order and Joey glanced at herself in the mirror again. Dawson kissed her nose before wrapping his arms tightly around her, lifting her off of the table with him still inside her and opened the door to her bedroom as she gave him a sly smile.

“What are you smiling at?” Dawson asked slyly, almost anxious to hear her response.

"Dawson, have you ever had sex in front of a mirror?" Joey asked him as she pushed her bedroom door shut behind them.

A little while later, both lay exhausted but buzzing on her bed. The emotions running between them were strong. Dawson lay on his back, the comforter pulled up to his waist and his chest was exposed. Joey laid on her side next to him, the comforter low enough on her to expose one of her breasts.

"You really want to know?" Dawson asked her not quite believing the question.

Joey nodded her head. "You said I could ask you anything, I picked that."

"You know, I have noticed so far that all the questions you are asking are about sex."

"So, do you have a point?" She asked him shifting her position slightly causing her exposed breast to bounce a little.

He half shrugged. "I bet that everyone in the office thinks that Joey Potter, chief political consultant is above being curious about someone's sex life..."

"I think everyone in the office has better things to think about than what I’m curious about and I bet those same people would say that you are trying to evade the question,” she said playfully, swatting at his chest. Laughing softly, he caught her wrist, bringing her hand up to kiss it.

"Ok, let's see,” he said, clearing his throat. “There was Krista, Kathy, Anna, Janie, Cynthia, Caitlin, and Cassandra." He paused for a moment. "Sandra, Sarah, Michelle, Gaby, another Sarah, Natalie, Rachel, Kate."

As he continued to name names Joey's eyes seemed to go wide, believing yet not quite believing how many sexual partners he'd had.

"Oh, I forgot Samantha and Stacie."

"That's twenty-one,” Joey stammered, trying to cover her shock.

"Sorry, there was a Joey too," he added with a straight face. "Might want to add her twice though."

"I don't..." she began trying to say something but she was pretty much speechless. Joey honestly couldn't blame a woman for wanting to sleep with Dawson, she had eyes but now she knew there was more to him than a pretty face. Should she be surprised it was so much? He'd told her she was his one and only one night stand but there seemed so many for them to all be long-term things.

"Joey?"

"Yes."

"I’m kidding, there were only five, including you," Dawson smiled amused by her reaction.

"Well I...why did you just name all those names?" Joey asked trying to mask her initial shock.

"I wanted to see what your reaction would be."

"Only five?" She asked hesitantly, wondering if he was teasing her again.

"Is that not enough?"

"I...well..." Joey shrugged her shoulders before in a low voice adding. "I don't know."

"Well, let's see how mine compares. What's your magic number?" He asked and Joey appeared to be mentally checking off names in her head and he began to lazily draw invisible circles on her arm. "Anytime tonight would be good."

She stuck her tongue out at him before blurting out. "Thirty-three."

He nodded his head mulling it over and she wondered if that changed his opinion of her. "Including me?"

She simply nodded and the longer he was quiet for the more uncomfortable she felt. "Well?"

"You dog." He said laughing for a moment before he stopped. "What do I care how many guys you’ve slept with, I only asked because you did and I wanted to see why you were so surprised by my number."

Joey thought about what he said for a moment, he didn’t seem to care how many guys she’d been with.

She found herself whispering the true number. "It was six."

He thought about asking why she told him more but decided not to bother.

"So, what was the lucky guys’ name?"

"I don't remember." Joey said quickly before asking, "What was her name?"

"Buffy,” he replied quickly. "How can you not remember his name?"

"Buffy?" she laughed. "You are joking right?" She saw the serious look on his face. "Oh...I'm sorry."

"And his name was?" Dawson asked, moving back to look at her better.

"Artie,” she replied her voice low as she averted her eyes from his knowing he was going to comment or laugh.

"Artie?" Dawson repeated, trying to stifle a laugh. "Are you kidding around with me?" He saw she wasn't making it up and laughed some more. "Well maybe we should hook Artie and Buffy up."

Joey couldn't help it and she laughed, swatting his hand away. "You're bad."

"You love that."

"Someone's so sure of himself,” she replied as he started to stroke her arm again, moving higher and higher. "What age were you?" she asked as he slowly retreated his hand.

He mumbled something and she couldn't make it out.

"What was that?"

"I said twenty," he sighed.

"Okay, now I know you're making that up,” Joey said playfully as she tickled his chest, but seeing the look on his face, she knew it was true. "Oh," she mouthed silently as she felt like kicking herself. "Have you looked at yourself in the mirror, ever?”

"I had my reasons," he began.

"You don't have to tell me,” Joey said quickly.

"My cousin Scott is four years older than me,” Dawson started, ignoring Joey’s comment. “I remember when he was 17, his girlfriend Shauna got pregnant. Scott was super smart; I'm talking like Bill Gates brilliant. Well, it ended up being the worst thing that could happen, he managed to finish high school, even started college but he was balancing that with a weekend job and one in the evenings. I remember he'd told me it was the first time they had sex, they were careful and she still got pregnant. Over time I saw the effect it had on him, they tried to get on, they'd been together for years but they seemed so miserable. Shauna had had hopes of going to college too but with the baby, Mackenzie, she couldn't. I made a vow I wouldn't let that happen to me. I decided that when I would sleep with a girl, it had to be with someone I was willing to spend my life with in case that happened and I would have to be almost finished college."

They both sat in silence for a moment, Joey waiting until his eyes were on hers again. "Buffy must have meant something to you then."

A nod of his head was Dawson's only reply and silence enveloped the almost pitch black room again.

Rolling away from him, Joey opened a drawer in her nightstand. "I'm gonna light some candles since neither of us is going to sleep.”

"Okay,” he said, watching her move around the room. "We were together for 18 months when it happened."

"It sounds like it was a smart decision,” Joey said as she crawled back into bed beside him. "I wish I had made that decision."

"What age were you?"

"Sixteen. Let's just say I was lured by promises that turned out to be false. He told me nothing would change between us, it would make us closer. We'd only been dating for a few months. The truth of it is, once we did it once he expected it would happen all the time," Joey said, shrugging her shoulders. "After a few weeks of rarely seeing him because I didn't want it to be all about having sex I found out he was trying to hook up with a cheerleader he heard would put out on a regular basis."

"He sounds like a nice guy,” Dawson snorted.

"Well it was enough to put me off of the whole thing for a while,” Joey said, playing loosely with her hair. “I never slept with a guy until a few years later and even then it was only after we'd been dating for a while."

Time seemed to be passing quickly and there was still so much to say. They spent the rest of the night in bed, talking, trying to fill the gap that seemed to exist between them, fill it with silly or important questions about each other, trying to find out as much as they could before Dawson would have to leave.

As the hours passed they shared as much as they could, taking turns asking questions. Asking about high school, activities they were involved in. Asking about what brought them to Iowa and to Boston, how they got started in the crazy rat-race game of politics and what brought them together. But there still seemed like they didn’t know enough, no detail was too small to ask or want to know.

As the wee hours of the morning continued to creep by, Joey rolled closer to him. “What’s the longest relationship you’ve been in?”

“That would be with Caitlin, we were together just over two years.”

“Why did it end?” Joey asked, rubbing his stomach.

“She didn’t like me working long hours,” Dawson replied as Joey laid her hand on his chest. “What about you?”

“The longest was 25 months,” she began as she started to draw invisible patterns on his chest. “His name was Jared. He was the first guy I dated seriously in college, after graduation he got a job in California that he said he couldn’t turn down. I guess it wasn’t meant to be.”

“The guy probably regrets that now.”

“You’re just saying that,” Joey blushed.

“No I’m not.”

Silently Joey leaned up and kissed the corner of his mouth, her lips lingering an inch away from his for a moment. Dawson lifted his head off of the pillow and touched his lips to hers, bringing one of his hands up to cup her cheek and she placed her hand over his. She moved her body onto his and he wrapped an arm around her waist in an attempt to pull her closer.

Dawson began to ask himself if he could really give this up. He felt more connected to her this one night than he had to anyone else. Now, he thought that connection ran deeper. Could he just pick up and walk away from her after these moments spent together? Dawson always let his career dictate his life and take him around the county, but he never felt something like this for another woman. No one made him feel the way she id. But was this romance?

His thoughts on the impending dilemma began to subside as she moved one of his hands to her breasts.

What could she possibly do to make him stay? That same thought had been playing over in her head as night continued. She told him she wanted him to stay; it was up to him what he did with that now. In her minds eye the intent had been to come back here and discuss how she wanted him to stay, but that hadn’t happened. And ever since his arm had grazed hers in the kitchen she just wanted to focus on the now, not on his looming departure.

Joey was unable to keep her thoughts in check as she began to focus only on his body, the way he made her feel when she was with him, when he touched her.

Dawson rolled her onto her back, kissing her briefly before starting a decent down her body. His probing tongue found her breast, manipulating the nipple into a hard peak and she arched her back as his hand also appeared to take a detour and as he sunk a finger inside her causing her to dig her heals into the bed as she moaned his name and raked her fingers through his hair.

Joey placed her hand under his chin and he looked up at her. “I want you,” she whispered and he obliged, with a slight detour via her other breast.

He changed position so he was between her legs and entered her slowly, his eyes watching hers the whole time. As she adjusted he kissed each of her eyelids, her nose and finally her mouth. Thrusting her pelvis she indicated he could move and he did so, his movements slow and they continued to kiss.

Their bodies slipped and slide against each other slowly; a newfound feeling was being shared between them, a feeling of intimacy that neither had felt before. Both felt themselves gradually approach their peak and only then did their pace increase. Joey kept mumbling his name and he did the same with hers until both of them orgasmed almost at the same moment, Dawson collapsing on top of her before kissing her lips softly and moving off of her.

For a few minutes or an hour they just lay face to face in silence, both of their eyelids growing heavy, Joey tracing her hand over Dawson’s face, trying to memorize every line as Dawson wrapped his arm around her pulling her as close to him as possible.

The sounds of a cab blasting its horn pulled Joey from her dreamless sleep and for a moment she couldn’t remember what day it was. As memories of the previous night flooded back she turned in her bed ready to wake him but the bed was empty. She casually glanced at the clock on her nightstand and sat bolt upright as she realized she was late for work. Jumping out of bed she first went to check if Dawson was in the apartment but it appeared he wasn’t. Sitting up to look around her apartment, she hoped he left her a note, or something to sum up some of what she felt and what she thought he felt as well after last night. But nothing. Nothing on her pillow or the floor or on the nightstand. He was gone.

He’ll be on his way to Washington now, she surmised. I guess it was just goodbye and he couldn’t tell me, or this was his way of saying it.

Dejected Joey headed for the shower, hoping she would make it there before the tears began.