Educated Hearts

Chapter Fourteen                  

(The last day before Christmas Vacation.)

Mimi watched her roommate as she shoved a few last minute items into her overnight bag. It was time for Christmas break and Rory was getting on a plane late in the night to fly back to San Diego for the holidays.

"Rory... This sucks."

Rory turned around and looked at her with both eyebrows raised. "What sucks?"

Mimi pouted childishly. "You're leaving me..."

"Meems, you lived eighteen years without me, I think you can survive for a week. And, I will be back in time for New Year's. Of course, to tell you the truth, I'm not really looking forward to it either."

"You're not?"

Rory shook her head and sat on the edge of her bed with a sigh. "Nope. I love my family, I get along with them great... But, the holidays are too stressful with them. Besides, if I have to hear 'You can always transfer to a San Diego school at any time' over and over, I'm going to yank my hair out one strand at a time."

Mimi nodded in understanding and frowned. "They *really* didn't want you to come here, did they?"

"No, they didn't. My mom is sweet, but she's far too clingy. She freaked out when I told her I wanted to come to Salem for college." Rory laid her hand on her forehead, and mocked her mother's weepy voice. "Too far, Aurora. It's toooooo faaaaaar. Boooo hooooo..."

She took her hand away and grinned before continuing. "And I was like, if you're going to cry like that, it's not far enough, I'll be able to hear you from three thousand miles away."

Mimi laughed softly and smiled at her. "Well, I, for one, am quite glad you decided to come to Salem U."

"Me too... And, I'm even more glad that by luck or fate or whatever, the housing administration chose to put me here in room 217 with Miriam Lockhart."

"I'll second that. Especially after I've met all of the other freaks that live in this building. You are definitely a freak, but you're a much better choice than anybody else in this dorm."

Rory laughed and nudged Mimi's foot with her own. "Geez, thanks... I guess I'll take that as a compliment."

Mimi nodded and bit her lower lip thoughtfully. "You know, it's kind of weird when you think about it. I end up here with you, and Jason ends up across the hall with Nick. Jason and I fall in love; you and Nick fall in love. It's like destiny."

"You're on crack, Lockhart. Seriously. Nick and I are not in love."

"Yes, you are. He loves you, you love him, he just doesn't know that you know that he loves you, and he doesn't know that you love him. But, see, you do know all of this... and you still won't do anything about it."

Rory sighed loudly and shook her head, turning away from Mimi to zip up her bag. "I told you, Shyboy has to make the first move, and he has yet to move an inch. I, however, happen to be moving on with my life... at tonight's party..."

Mimi looked at her curiously. "Moving on? You have a date for the party?"

"I do. You know him, Andrew who works in the bookstore... He asked if I was going to the Sigma party tonight, I said yes... He wanted to go together, so we are."

"And you are, of course, doing this to make Nick jealous? Using Andrew as your pawn?"

Rory turned back to look at Mimi, knowing that she had been caught, but still playing the innocent act. "I... I... I wouldn't say that. Andrew is attractive and has many interesting qualities. Who am I to turn down a date with him?"

Mimi shook her head with shame. "You are a piece of work, Rory. Really, and truly. What you are doing is not fair to Andrew, and it just plain sucks for Nick."

"Geez, Mimi... It's not like we're getting married or something. We're just going to a stupid frat party."

"And turning Nick into a third wheel..."

Rory quickly corrected her. "Fifth wheel, technically..."

Mimi rolled her eyes and stood to go check her hair one last time in the mirror. "Whatever... The point is, you're playing games... and it's BAD."

Rory was about to defend herself when Jason and Nick appeared in the doorway. Jason leaned up against the open door and grinned at them. "So ladies, are we all ready to party?

Nick was standing beside him, looking less than enthusiastic. He enjoyed dancing with his friends, but he hated being around a bunch of drunken college kids who only wanted to act like the cast of Animal House. "Yes, the big pre-Christmas blowout hosted by the brothers of Sigma Delta Theta Beta Omega Kappa Alpha Gamma... Whatever it's called."

Rory nodded in agreement, she was fond of parties, but wasn't too big on the frat mentality either. "This *is* college, Nicholas. People find a reason to party at least once a week. I believe this is the same frat that celebrated Mexican Independence Day and United Nations Day. I didn't even know there was such a thing as United Nations Day, but if there's free beer and loud music, people will show up."

Mimi changed the subject by pointing at Rory's luggage. "Hey... Should we take Rory's stuff down to the car that way we'll be all ready to head straight to the airport from the party."

Jason nodded and came in to grab one of her suitcases and handed Nick the other. "That's right, Red-Eye Rory, has to take a one a.m. flight. Can't fly at normal times like normal people."

Rory pushed them out the door and nodded. "Nobody has ever accused me of being normal. Now hurry up, I only have a limited time to get my party on. We'll meet you down there in a few minutes."

Jason and Nick left to carry her bags down to Jason's car, as they were all planning on taking her to the airport. They walked right past Andrew, not noticing that the tall, sandy haired man was heading straight to Rory and Mimi's room. Rory greeted him at the door with a smile, and he tried to lean over to give her a kiss on the cheek but she turned around to grab her keys off the desk, leaving him to kiss the air.

"Hey Andrew..."

"Heya, babe... You ready to go?"

Mimi couldn't keep herself from rolling her eyes. *Heya, babe?? What kind of guy says that on the first date?* She thought to herself, already hating him even though he probably didn't deserve her hatred.

Rory plastered on her fake smile and nodded. "Sure, I'm ready. Andrew, you remember my roommate Mimi, right?"

He smiled at her and nodded. Andrew was attractive, but on their previous meetings he had always seemed bland and somewhat boring. "Mimi, of course... Nice to see you again."

Mimi nodded and smirked slightly. "You too..."

She didn't want to bother with too many pleasantries, so Mimi just pushed between them and out in to the hallway. "Let's go... Don't want to leave the others waiting outside in the cold."

Rory locked the door to their room and they quickly headed outside to rejoin the others. Nick was laughing at something that Jason had said, but his expression immediately turned into a frown when he saw Andrew walking a little too close to Rory. All of the color seemed to drain out of his face, when Rory spoke up to introduce them.

"Nicholas, Jason, this is Andrew... my date..."

If Nick didn't know better he would have sworn that the word 'date' seemed to echo loudly, bouncing around him, sounding as if she said it in slow motion. "I... Your... Your date?"

Rory laid her hand on Andrew's arm, her eyes narrowing as she spoke directly to Nick. "Yes. My date. *DAAAATE*. Contrary to popular belief, some people *do* find me attractive, AND enjoy spending time with me."

Rory linked arms with Andrew, who looked like a deer caught in headlights, and began marching off towards the party, which was not too far from their building. Mimi shared a glance of worry with Jason and shrugged in confusion.

"It's going to be a long night, isn't it?"

Jason nodded, looking a bit confused himself. "Oh definitely. Nick, buddy, you okay?"

Nick threw his hands up in frustration and began walking away. He muttered, mostly to himself as he walked past Jason and Mimi. "I don't know what she's trying to do, but I will not let it bother me."

Jason shouted after him. "Yes, we can see that it doesn't bother you at all!"

He turned back to Mimi and pulled her close to him. "So, what *is* she trying to do?"

"What do you think she's trying to do? She's making Nick jealous, and obviously, it's working."

Jason wrapped his arms around her waist, putting the constant drama of Rory and Nick on the backburner for a moment. He brushed a stray piece of hair off of Mimi's face and smiled at her. "You know, you get more beautiful every single day."

Mimi smiled bashfully and shook her head. "You're only saying that because it's cold outside and you need my body heat."

"No, I'm saying it because it's the truth. And because I want to do this..." Jason winked at her and leaned forward to kiss her on the lips. His tongue probed her gently, pausing to lightly nip at her lower lip, and Mimi slipped her hands underneath his jacket to rest on his back.

He broke off and Mimi grinned at him. "You know, you don't have to compliment me to do that. You have a free pass to do that anytime you want..."

"Well, that's good to know... Should we head off to the party? If our roommates are turning into a bad episode of Dawson's Creek, I want to be there to witness it."

Mimi laughed and grabbed on to his hand. "Me too... It's either going to be fireworks between them tonight or a nuclear meltdown. And either way, we're going to have to clean up the mess afterwards."

Jason nodded in agreement and they began the short walk towards the party together. Mimi was glad that she had Jason now, and no longer had to be part of the mating rituals that her friends were putting themselves through.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

(Much much later.)

Mimi and Jason were in the middle of the crowd, dancing closely together, but Mimi was watching her other friends out of the corner of her eye. She sighed softly and looked back at Jason.

"I'm -- I'm sorry... I should be focusing on you, but I can't help worrying about Nick."

Jason looked over her shoulder and nodded in agreement. Nick was standing against the wall with a plastic cup in his hand, looking as if his dog just died. He spent most of the night in the same spot, never taking his eyes off of Rory and her date, even when Jason and Mimi stood with him and talked. "It's okay, Meems... I wonder if Rory knows how upset he is."

Mimi shrugged slightly. "I don't know... I know she's doing this on purpose, but I think if she knew how hurt he was right now, she'd back off. All her sexy dancing with Bookboy is completely preventing him from having any fun at all. You know, she hasn't even danced with him ONCE since we got here."

Jason groaned in frustration and stopped dancing, dragging Mimi by the hand over to where Nick was standing. Nick turned his gaze away from Rory for a moment glancing in acknowledgement of their return. "Hey there..."

Mimi smiled widely and stood right in front of him, speaking in her perkiest of tones to get his attention. "Hey Nick! So are you having a completely miserable time or what? This party sure is crappy. Wow... Isn't it terrible?"

Nick looked back at her in confusion. "Huh... What?"

"I'm just saying... All those people behind us are, strangely enough, having fun. But, you are not. We should do something to remedy that, don't you think?"

Nick shook his head and Jason patted him on the shoulder. "She's right... You know, if you want to dance with her, you should just ask her."

"Dance with who?"

"Mother Theresa. Who do you think I'm talking about?"

Nick shrugged nonchalantly. "Mother Theresa is dead."

Mimi nodded and grinned at him as she motioned towards the dance floor. "Well, too bad for her, but now that means you have space on your dance card for Rory."

"She doesn't have space for me though. If she wants to dance with me, she knows where to find me."

Jason looked at him in disbelief. How many more not-so-subtle hints had to be dropped on his head like an anvil in a Looney Tunes short before he figured things out? "Maybe she wants *you* to ask *her*. You know, be a man about it."

Nick laughed softly and took a sip of whatever was in his cup. "Yeah, right..."

Mimi put her hands on his shoulder and frowned at him. "Come on... I'm not letting you leave this party tonight without having at least five minutes of fun. So put that stupid plastic cup down and come dance with me. Please..."

"What about your boyfriend?"

Jason pushed them forward towards the dance floor as the next song had already begun. "I don't mind at all. I've danced with her all night."

Nick groaned in frustration, following Mimi out to the dance floor. They began dancing to the music, but Nick kept his eyes fixed on Rory, who was no longer dancing, but appeared to be giving Andrew some sort of instructions.

Mimi put her hand on his face and forced him to look at her instead. "Don't you dare look over there, you've been looking at her all night. Concentrate on the music, and your dancing, please. No stepping on my feet because you're off in Rory-land."

Nick nodded and kept his gaze on Mimi, trying not to think about all of the feelings he had for Rory that were coming to the surface. He didn't even know Andrew, but he hated him instantly, and he knew that was a sure sign that he was falling for Rory.

*** How you doing, honey, baby
You know I don't ask for much
But, boy, a girl spending time alone can be pretty rough
But I hear that knock on my door
I know it's yours for sure
Can't wait for the bedroom
So we just hit the floor. ***

"Why is she even going out with that guy anyway? He just doesn't seem like a very good match for her."

Mimi laughed and rolled her eyes. He was head over heels, and try as he might, he could no longer deny it. "As if you don't know..."

*** You're alright...
I don't know, but I know what's happened to me girl
Break it down now...
See you got it work it out
You got it work it out
Brother got to work it out ***

Nick shrugged and stared at her in confusion. "I guess I don't know... What do you know that I don't?"

"Nick... She's out with him so she can make you jealous."

"WHAT? Is that what she told you?"

Mimi shook her head and grinned at him. "No, she didn't have to tell me. Rory is interested in *you*, and she's told me that much. She's just waiting for *you* to get the guts to ask her out."

Nick closed his eyes for a second, realizing how blind he was to her games. "Oh geez... I'm such an idiot. I should have figured it out."

"Well, obviously, it worked. You ARE jealous."

"How could I not be? She was dancing all over that guy... It was awful."

Mimi peeked over Nick's shoulder and saw that Andrew had disappeared. Rory and Jason were dancing and talking about something. She could only hope that he was telling her how upset Nick was over her 'date'. Mimi turned back to Nick and continued urging him on. "It was only awful because it wasn't you dancing with her. You need to tell her how you feel. You're like me, Nick. You're a terrible liar. I can see in your eyes that you want to go out with her, but you're too afraid to ask."

Nick sighed softly and nodded. He did want to be with Rory, and even now, knowing that she felt the same way, he didn't know if he could bring himself to make the first move.

*** So we're shaking back and forth now
Just keep it coming babe
Dream about it like a guitar
Gotta keep on strumming

But in the back of my mind
Is it gonna be the last time
Well if it ain't about loving
And you don't keep it coming, well baby, with me that's just fine ***

Jason glanced briefly at Nick and Mimi and then turned back to Rory with a suspicious glance. "So, where did your date disappear to all of a sudden?"

"I told him to go home. So he did."

"That easily?"

Rory shrugged nonchalantly. "I have a way with words. Plus, when he found out that I don't sleep with guys on the first date, he hit the trail without even looking back."

Jason cringed slightly. "Ouch. What a creep. You *do* know you're breaking Nick's heart, don't you?"

Rory stared at him in disbelief and shook her head. "I am not. He's a big boy... I'm just having fun."

"I don't think you've noticed how upset he is. Mimi practically had to drag him out on the floor to have some fun. He wants to be dancing with you, but you couldn't peel yourself away from what's-his-name long enough to dance with him."

"But... I... Oh geez. I'm an idiot, aren't I?"

Jason nodded enthusiastically and Rory smacked herself in the forehead. "Yes, you are. Both of you need to stop playing games and just come out with the truth."

*** So baby, hold me like you don't wanna let go
I'm feeling foxy
Just for you working it out
You giving me a taste of your honey
I want the whole beehive... ***

Rory sighed softly; she wasn't quite ready to give up her game yet, still wanting Nick to become a little more courageous. But, she could, at the very least, do something to cheer him up. "I -- I'm going to go ask him to dance. I feel bad now."

Jason smiled and let go of her. "Good... I want my girlfriend back anyway."

Rory walked over to Mimi and Nick, leaving Jason alone on the dance floor. She put one hand on Nick's shoulder and the other on Mimi's and smiled at them. "Hey, can I cut in?"

Mimi smiled happily and nodded. "Okay, Rory... But, you do know the girl-on-girl action is going to drive the drunk frat boys crazy."

Rory stuck her tongue out at her roommate and nudged her out of the way. "No, not you. I want to dance with Picasso. Go find your man, Meems. He's looking for you."

Mimi nodded gratefully and headed off to find Jason. Rory put her hands on Nick's shoulders and grinned at him. "You having fun, Nicholas?"

"Nope, not at all."

"I'm sorry... I'm really really sorry."

Nick pretended like he didn't know what she was referring to, but inside he was glad that she was apologizing. "For what?"

Rory frowned at him and continued. "For whatever it is I did that made you have a miserable time tonight. I didn't know that bringing Andrew here would cause such a problem."

"Where did he go, by the way? Did you lambada him into oblivion?"

"Lambada? I can't say that I ever thought I'd hear that word come out of *your* mouth."

Nick shrugged nonchalantly, his brown eyes twinkling mischievously, making Rory wonder if he was starting to gain some courage after all. "I'm just jealous... All the times we've danced together and you've never danced like that with me."

The last song ended, and the next one begun, giving Rory the perfect beat to continue playing her game. She'd give him a dance that he wouldn't forget, something he could think about over winter break. Rory ran her hands down from his shoulders and put her hands on his chest, she leaned up and whispered in his ear. "I can fix that."

Rory started gyrating against him, and Nick secretly wondered if she a second career giving lapdances that nobody knew about. As if being near her didn't make him flustered enough, she was moving to the music, and slowly running her hands over his chest until her fingers were entwined behind his neck.

*** If you had the chance, I know you surely would
And anytime I want it baby, I could
Said you never saw me coming... Did you dear?
But you can't run from everything you fear...

Hey, dontcha wanna fall in love
Baby, you won't die
Why don't you put your precious pride aside
Dontcha wanna
Cause you can't let your whole life pass you by ***

Rory had herself pressed up against him tightly, letting very little space come between their bodies. Nick had thrown his shyness out the window in the nearly four minutes that the song lasted, wrapping his arms around her waist and moving with her. The girl in his arms absolutely drove him crazy, her skin, her smile, the way she laughed, her carefree attitude about life, and everything about her. He had never met anyone that could make him feel so alive.

Rory winked at him briefly and ran her hands up his well-muscled back. He wasn't an exercise-nut like a lot of guys she had known, but he kept himself in shape, and she definitely appreciated it. She had had a few all-too-brief glances at him without his shirt on around the door, and she definitely enjoyed what she saw. Not only that, what was on the inside matched the attractiveness of his outsides.

*** Sure that you ain't had nothing like this before
You can't be the same, if I give any more
I don't wanna waste none of your precious time
But you won't have no choice but to be mine

Baby, dontcha wanna play it from the line
Dontcha wanna
Dontcha wanna fall in love
Cause you can't let your whole pass you by ***

They locked eyes with each other, both of them feeling the heat that their dance was building inside of them. Rory tilted her face up, her lips only centimeters from his. Just as Nick was trying to decide whether he should kiss her not, Rory put one hand on his shoulder, and slipped the other one on his shoulder and slipped the other underneath the bottom of his untucked shirt, resting it on his stomach. Her hand was like fire, sending a charge through him that almost made him shudder.

He looked at her curiously, their first kiss put on hold by her sudden movement. "What exactly *are* you doing?"

Rory giggled and slowly rubbed his abs with her fingertips. "Hey, I let you fondle my abs once, this is payback."

*** You can't put nothing before your pride
Oh baby, what I give you can leave your pride aside
Dontcha wanna fall in love with me... ***

Mimi and Jason were now dancing together, and looked over at their friends with amusement. Now, they were finally getting somewhere. It may not be exactly where they should be, but it was obvious to anyone who was paying attention that Rory and Nick were completely entranced with each other.

Nick grinned at Rory as she removed her hand from his stomach and pressed herself into him. "You know... If your writing career ever fails, you can always get a job in Vegas."

Rory laughed and kissed him on the cheek to thank him for the dance. "Yeah, I'm sure that would make my mom real proud. Look Ma! I can dance around a pole naked! Aren't you glad you spent all that money on my college tuition?"

Nick wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly, kissing the top of her head sweetly. Some people might claim that Rory Bennett was too much to handle, but Nick knew she was just enough for him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Rory spent the rest of the night dancing with Nick, washing Andrew's disrespect for her out of her mind completely. She knew her game had been stupid, but it had worked. Nick was jealous, and he had refused to leave her side for the rest of the night.

Mimi had to drag her away from him eventually, reminding her that she had to be at the airport at least an hour before her flight left. Mimi, Nick and Rory stood in the doorway of the house, waiting for Jason to come back from the bathroom. When Jason returned, the first thing he noticed was the sprig of mistletoe hanging directly above Rory and Nick.

"Hey, you two... Look what you're standing under."

Both of them looked upwards and Rory turned to Jason and shook her head. "Are you stupid or something?"

Mimi motioned for them to go ahead. "It's a holiday tradition, Ror... You HAVE to do it."

"I will do no such thing. Do you guys think we're idiots? I've watched plenty of television, read lots of books, and seen a lot of movies. And, this is the part where the well-meaning, but seriously mental, friends of the two main characters convince them to kiss under the mistletoe because it's a 'tradition'. Thus, the two attractive leads discover their true feelings for each other, all because of a stupid Christmas kiss. It's one of the biggest clichés in the book, and I'm not going to fall for it."

Nick was staring at her with a satisfied grin and Rory turned to glare back at him. "What? What's your problem?"

Nick looked at her curiously and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Aurora Bennett... Do you EVER shut up?"

"Uhm, no... I don't."

Nick nodded and pulled her towards him, his impulses finally getting the best of him, and planted a soft kiss on her lips. It was all too brief, but sweet and tender, sending chills of pleasure down his spine. It was just a soft closed-mouth kiss, but it lasted long enough for Rory's cheeks to start blushing red. He broke the kiss off and Rory's brown eyes were wide with shock, her mouth open, but unable to form words.

Nick nodded proudly and walked out the door, making sure his friends heard what he was saying. "Finally... Some peace and quiet. I was wondering what I had to do to shut her up."

Rory turned to Mimi and Jason and blinked strangely, as if she was just waking up. Jason laughed and walked forward, gently nudging her out the door. "You'll be okay, Rory. It was just a kiss."

Rory was as quiet as a mouse until they got to Jason's car, taking her time to recover from Nick's sudden and surprising burst of courage.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

(Back to the Dorm)

The gang had seen Rory off without a problem, and her behavior was back to normal soon after the all-too-brief kiss from Nick. Nick went immediately back to his room, hoping to get some sleep since he was driving home to Chicago in the morning. Mimi kicked her shoes off and smiled at Jason who was sitting on the edge of her bed.

"Mimi... I wish I could invite you over to the house while we're out of the dorms, but..."

"I know. Your parents hate me. It's okay. I'll miss seeing you whenever I want to... But, you're coming back to stay here when Rory and Nick get back, right?"

Jason nodded affirmatively. "Yeah, after being out of the house the past few months, about a week is probably all I can stand."

Mimi grinned slightly and nodded. "Yeah, me too... I mean, I love my parents, but I kind of like the freedom I have being here."

"I -- I uhm, wanted to give you your Christmas present now. In case we don't see each other ON Christmas Day."

"Oh, okay... Hold on."

Mimi dashed over to her closet and grabbed the bright red gift bag off of the top shelf. She sat on the bed next to Jason and put it in his lap. "Here... You open yours first. It's not a really big deal, because I can't afford to get the really nice stuff. But, maybe you'll like it anyway."

Jason smiled and kissed her on the forehead before digging into the gift bag. He pulled out a copy of Jack Kerouac's 'On the Road' and a stack of CD cases. "You know, this is... perfect. I lost my copy of Kerouac when I moved over here."

Mimi smiled proudly and clapped her hands together. "I know! You told me, so I got you another one. And the CD's... It's a compilation of different things. One is all of your favorite songs, and one is my favorite songs, which will hopefully remind you of me whenever I'm not around... And the third one is songs that are special and mean something to us... Or describe the way I feel about you. I know it's not much..."

Jason gave her a brief kiss on the lips and wrapped his arms around her. "It's perfect, Mimi... And besides, it's not the only gift you've given me this year."

"It -- it isn't?"

"No, it's not. Just the fact that you and I are here together is a gift. I mean, you gave me the gift of a second chance, and then you gave me the gift of your love. That's all I need."

Mimi sighed softly and smiled at him. "Oh Jason... that's so sweet... And you know, I feel the same."

Jason nodded and grinned at her. "I know... But, promise me you'll never tell anyone that I talk like this when we're alone. I don't want my image completely ruined."

"I swear..."

"Good, now let me give you your present..." Jason reached in the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a small velvet box, handing it over to her slowly.

Mimi opened the lid and nearly fell over with surprise. It was a simple silver ring with a heart shaped emerald in the middle. Mimi put her hand on her chest and stared at him in shock. "Jason... It's so beautiful. It's too much... Too expensive..."

Jason shook his head. "Nothing is too much for you. I got it to match your eyes."

Mimi wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. "I love it. I really do... Thank you so much."

"You're welcome. I love you, Mimi."

"I love you too..."

Mimi smiled again and let go of him so she could take the ring out of the box. She put it on her right hand and paused to admire it lovingly. It was beautiful and a perfect fit. She felt guilty because she couldn't reciprocate with the kind of gifts that Jason could give her, and that his parents would inevitably think of this as just another sign that she was only after Jason's money. But, Mimi shook those thoughts away, choosing to concentrate on the positive for right now.

She put the jewelry box on the nightstand and turned back to him, putting her arms back around him. "Merry Christmas, Jase."

"Merry Christmas to you too."

Jason leaned forward and put his lips on hers. Mimi slowly parted her lips, allowing him access to her mouth. She broke away from him and planted a soft kiss on his earlobe, then softly whispered into his hear. "Sleep here tonight."

Jason leaned back and looked at her with surprise. "What?"

"Sleep... That's all. Just sleep. I'm sure Nick is already out of it, and you'd just wake him up if you went back to your room now. And with Rory gone, it's kind of empty in here. So, stay here until the morning... Okay?"

"Okay... sounds like a good idea."

Jason kicked off his shoes and slipped his jacket off throwing it on to Rory's empty bed. His hands went to the buttons on his shirt, but Mimi stopped him with her hand. She pushed his hands away and slowly unbuttoned his shirt for him, leaning forward to kiss his neck as punctuation to each button coming undone. She rubbed her hands from his stomach and up his chest, his body taut and warm underneath her palms. Mimi pulled his shirt off of his shoulders and tossed it to Rory's bed to join his jacket.

She removed her lips from his neck to sit back and admire him in all his glory. He was truly a work of art, and he was all hers. Mimi pulled her sweater off and tossed it to the floor, allowing Jason to do a little gazing of his own. She quickly pulled her skirt down as Jason undid his pants and tossed them aside.

Mimi put her arms back around his neck and kissed him again, falling back on to the bed and bringing him with her. Jason hovered above her and ran his hand up her bare leg and on to her stomach, lingering for a moment before cupping one of her full breasts with his hand. He gently massaged them, and Mimi moaned softly into his mouth. She ran one hand down his back, resting at the top of his boxer shorts, pulling him closer to her.

Jason broke off the kiss but kept his hands roaming slowly over her. "Mimi... This whole waiting thing... Is it still working out for you?"

Mimi laughed softly. It had been less than a month since they had drawn a line that they would not cross, but still, it wasn't easy. "Yes, it's working out... just barely."

Jason nodded and ran his hand up her inner thigh, making her shudder with pleasure. "Yeah. Working out good for me too. I was just... checking..."

Mimi kissed him deeply and held on tightly to him. They spent the rest of the night, until they were too sleepy to continue on, finding new ways to explore each other without crossing the agreed-upon threshold. It had become their new game in their relationship, finding new ways to please each other but finding the temptation of the ultimate physical commitment.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Songs:
"Work it Out" - Beyonce Knowles
"Don'tcha Wanna" - Anastacia

Yeah, I know... I'm a *tease*... LOL. But, I had to re-write this chapter three times because it SUCKED, and by the time I got to the end, I just wanted it to end as quickly as possible.

I only picked that Beyonce Knowles song because it's been in my head ALL DAMN DAY, and it has a pretty decent beat. It has no other meaning besides that. But, the Anastacia song, I really liked, and thought it'd be a cool song for Rock to dance to.

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