Part 1
By Ethan_15 ([email protected])
Storyline: Dawson and Joey as usual, Jack is attracted to the new guy working at the Ice House
Dawson didn't try to make out any of the words the actors in the movie were saying. He heard the hum of their voices in the back of his mind, but his full attention was on Joey, his best friend and ex-girlfriend, who was sitting right next to him on his bed. H listened intently to her slow, even breathing. Out of the corner of his eye he watched the slow rise and fall of her chest with every breath. He felt the warmth of her hand, which was only fraction of an inch from his.
She was so beautiful. How could he not have seen it for so many years? And now their relationship was over, at least for a while into the foreseeable future. She had said she needed space, time to find herself, and he was going to do his best to give it to her for as long as she needed, just because he loved her. All he could do was cling to the hope that she had not stopped loving him. He could not bear the thought of losing her completely, so he would be her friend as long as it took for her to come back to him, even if it took forever.
'Oh God, Jo, I miss you so much.'
Joey sat in Dawson's room staring blankly at the TV screen while some movie was playing; she hardly knew what it was. She had lost track of the plot nearly an hour earlier and had given up on trying to figure out shat was going on. She had spent most of the movie thinking about Dawson. Even though he was sitting right next to her, she missed him painfully. She missed the way they used to talk about everything, back when they were just friends, and even when they were dating. Now there was this awkward, strained silence between them whenever they were alone together. She had said she needed space and now she was determined to have it. 'What kind of sense does that make?' she mentally kicked herself for being so confused about her own feelings. She would have to sleep on it some more, but it seemed like she had been doing that a lot lately. All she knew was that she missed him. She missed their conversations, she missed their debates, she missed their kisses, and she even missed their arguments. Sometimes she wondered why she even broke up with him. Actually, she wondered a lot of the time.
The movie ended. The credits rolled. "So, what did you think of the movie?" Dawson asked.
Joey let out a short laugh, "I think I was completely and totally lost after about the first half hour and spent the rest of it trying to figure out what was going on," she lied, she really hadn't been trying.
Dawson sighed, "Well, maybe another time we can try watching it again." He began to rewind the video, "Do you want to watch another?"
Joey didn't know what to say. She didn't want to watch another movie, she wanted to talk, but she didn't know what to say. She did know, however, that she did not want to leave.
"Well?" Dawson asked again.
"I don't know, Dawson, whatever you want" her answer was immediately followed by another period of awkward silence.
Dawson didn't know what to say. He didn't really want to watch another movie, but he was afraid that if there was nothing to do, Joey would leave, and he did not want that.
Dawson figured now was as good a time as any to try a totally new technique of communicating with Joey, he would be completely honest and say what he felt, "I don't really want to watch another, but I really don't want you to leave. I miss talking to you, Joey."
Joey let out a sigh of relief. He had said it, not her. "I know exactly how you feel."
Dawson seemed equally relieved that she had not run away when he had said that. "What's happened to us, Joe? We can't even talk to each other anymore. I miss you. I miss the way we used to be. We've lost our old relationship and now I miss you."
Joey nodded, and Dawson noticed she was almost in tears.
'Dawson, what have I done to us. We had such a wonderful thing going and I ruined it. I thought I needed space but what I really needed was you. And now neither of us is happy and we can't get back to a place where we were happy together' She wanted to cry on his shoulder and tell him how she felt, but when she opened her mouth all she could get out was a sob. She couldn't bring herself to say the things she needed to say to make things better and stop hurting Dawson. She didn't want to hurt him anymore, and she hurt without him.
Joey felt Dawson sit on the bed next to her. He wrapped her up in his arms and pulled her to his chest. She continued to cry into his shirt.
"Oh, God, Jo, I didn't mean to make you cry. I only want to make you happy" as he said it he slowly rocked her back and forth slightly, "I'm sorry, Jo, I'm so sorry."
She began to relax in Dawson's arms. The last time she had cried like this in front of anyone it had been to Dawson when her mother died. She managed to croak out between sobs, "I miss you. I miss you and I love you so much."
Dawson stroked her hair and said over and over "I love you, don't cry. I love you, I love you...."
The next thing Joey remembered was waking up in Dawson's arms. She didn't know exactly what the previous night had meant, her pouring out all of her emotions to Dawson, all she knew was how good it had felt, and how right it felt now, laying with him.
Dawson, too, lay awake, though he did his best to show no signs of it. He continued to breathe steadily as if in sleep, but really, he was fully awake and enjoying every moment of his morning with Joey. He didn't know what would happen when she awoke, but right now it just felt good to hold her while she slept.
They both prayed to every God they knew that once the sun finished rising and they moved on with their lives, whatever they did, they would do it together.
At 6:00am Dawson's radio alarm want off and "Truly, Madly, Deeply" by Savage Garden began to play. Joey listened carefully to the words, and at this moment, they felt so right.
"I'll be your dream
I'll be your wish, I'll be your fantasy
I'll be your hope, I'll be your love
Be everything that you need
I'll love you more with every breath
Truly, madly, deeply
I will be strong, I will be faithful
'Cause I'm counting on
A new beginning
A reason for living
A deeper meaning
I want to stand with you on a mountain
I want to bathe with you in the sea
I want to lay like this forever
Until the sky falls down on me
And when the stars are shining
Brightly is the velvet sky
I'll make a wish, send it to heaven
Then make you want to cry
The tears of joy for all the
Pleasure in the certainty
That we're surrounded
By the comfort and protection
Or the highest powers
In lonely hours
The tears devour you
I want to stand with you on a mountain
I want to bathe with you in the sea
I want to lay like this forever
Until the sky falls down on me..."
As the song ended, Joey forced herself the roll away from Dawson. 'Oh no, I forgot to call Bessie last night, and I have to work today'
She heard Dawson moan quietly as he stirred from sleep. " Morning," she whispered, kissing his forehead gently.
"Morning," Dawson said, sounding disappointed.
"I know how you feel," she said, referring to the fact that the night was over. "I have to work at 9:00. Bessie is going to kill me for not calling last night"
She picked up Dawson's alarm clock, turned off the radio and set it to go off again at 8:00. She set the alarm to 'buzz' so she'd be sure to wake up, then layback down and snuggled back up to Dawson. Neither of them slept.
Joey got to the Icehouse just a few minutes before 9:00. She took a deep breath and stepped inside. Bodie was in the back, firing up the stove, Jack was taking chairs down from the tops of the tables and Bessie was standing right behind the counter, staring directly at her. "Where have you been?"
"I'm so sorry, Bessie" Joey began. "Dawson and I fell asleep during..."
"You have to learn to be more responsible young lady," Bessie said angrily. "If you're not coming home you call me. Do you understand?"
"I'm sorry..."
"Understand?"
"Yes" Joey said.
"Good, now go set the table for those customers," she said, nodding toward the door where an elderly couple had just entered, probably after the early church service.
Joey did, and all through the morning she thought about Dawson. Things were better between them now, but were they back together? Joey didn't know exactly were they stood at the moment, but she was definitely happy with it. She was very confused, but she was happy. After the breakfast rush ended and things slowed down she and Jack had a chance to talk.
"Okay, why are you so happy?" Jack asked "you've been walking around here smiling all morning."
Joey smiled "Oh, have I? Well. Dawson and I might be back together."
"Might?"
"Yeah, we haven't really figured out exactly where we stand yet, but we talked last night and I think everything's going to work out. Jack?" Joey tried to get his attention, but he was looking over at the door. She glanced over and noticed an extremely good-looking guy standing in the door. He was perfectly built and had spiked, short blonde hair and looked about 17 or 18. Joey nearly dropped her jaw when he walked straight toward them.
"Hi, can I help you?" Jack asked, standing up
Joey smiled *Jack likes him. * It was the first time Joey had seen Jack so obviously attracted to a guy, and she could understand why.
"Actually, I was wondering who I could talk to about getting a job here. I saw you 'help wanted' sign. I'm Ben Walker."
Joey ran into the kitchen and came back with a work application. "Here, fill this out, but it's just a formality, we'd never turn away a job applicant. I'll run it past my sister and we'll probably have you working as soon as possible."
"Okay, thanks." Ben said "I need a job quick. I just moved here last week and the cost of living is a bit more than I had anticipated." He filled out the application and left.
When Joey and Jack sat down again, Joey couldn't stop smiling at Jack. "What?" Jack demanded
"You like him." Joey said, still smiling
"I do not."
"You do to," she insisted, "You were checking him out when he came in. That's the first time I've ever seen you do that."
"You didn't see anything because I didn't do anything" he said, getting up to bring food to some people
Joey kept smiling at him, "Fine," he finally gave in, "but you did it too."
"Fine, I'll admit It." she said "you'd have to be stupid not to look at a guy like that.
Now it was Jack's turn to smile.