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It was strange how everything was so simple. Even stranger how nothing had changed but still remained the same. Each morning Joey would get up and make the coffee and eggs while Pacey showered. After Pacey had finished with the bathroom Joey would go in for he morning shower while Pacey made toast and grabbed the newspaper. Then they would sit down for breakfast reading the paper. Pacey would absently hand Joey the Arts section while Joey passed him the Sports pages. Joey would scan the business section while Pacey read the legal notices. Afterwards they would read local, national and world news together pointing out articles of interest. Then they were racing off to their different respective offices. Sometimes during the day they would have lunch together. More often than not they didn�t but every day Pacey and Joey would call one another and talk. Maybe not very long, sometimes their conversations lasted for around a minute but just enough so they could hear the other�s voice during their busy, hectic work schedules. It was their brief sanity amidst the insanity of work. Joey was usually the first one to come home and she would prepare dinner for herself and Pacey. On the rare occasions when either of them worked exceptionally late Pacey or Joey, depending on who had to stay behind in the office, would visit the other with containers of food. During the night Pacey and Joey would work on ongoing projects and cases or simple sit and read, sketch or watch television. Simple. Uncomplicated. Exactly how their friendship had always been. Yet Pacey and Joey had crossed the boundaries of friendship. Everything may have remained the same but everything had also changed. Everyone else in the world might not have noticed a difference in their relationship. Sure Joey seemed much happier and less cynical than normal and yes Pacey seemed more buoyant but to the rest of the world it wasn�t really much of a change. In fact most wouldn�t have considered it a change it all. Yet what was significantly different was the fact that Pacey now saw the love in Joey�s eyes and Joey now realised the love that had always been there for her in Pacey�s eyes. Eating was about sharing a meal. A walk down the street became two people walking side by side on the same path, their hands linked and tightly clasped. Waking up was about knowing there was someone there besides you who would share the beginning of each day with you. Going to sleep was knowing that there was someone to wrap your arms around and dream the traumas of the day away. Simple, ordinary, mundane experiences with their potential realised. They were moments that made a lifetime and Pacey and Joey had finally admitted that it was going to be a lifetime they were going to share.
Pacey twirled the ring around Joey�s finger slowly rotating it around. �I was digging around and I found some forgotten pictures taken from our summer road trip.� �The one before college?� Joey asked amazed. �The one before college.� Pacey confirmed. �Here take a look.� Out came an assortment of photos. There was one of Pacey and Joey both dressed as Elvis which was taken at Nashville. A photo of Joey half drunk singing in some small town karoke bar. A photo of Pacey surrounded by Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and the Little Mermaid when they had gone to Disneyworld. There was a photo of Pacey trying to steal a road sign. Another photo of Pacey being stopped by a local officer and later a photo of Pacey and the same officer drinking beers and shooting pool in a bar. �Oh God! I�d almost forgotten about some of these!� Joey exclaimed, with tears of laugher in her eyes. �Do you remember when you�.� �Joey you promised you would never mention it again!� Pacey protested. �C�mon Pace!! It�s not like anyone is going to know!! It�s just you and me.� �Don�t say it Jo.� �Pacey remember when you�� Before Joey could continued Pacey covered her mouth with his own, effectively preventing her from talking. She mumbled uselessly before she finally gave in a succumbed to the kiss. �I think I�ve just found the best method of keeping you quiet Potter. If I had known that kissing you was so effective I would have kissed you a long time ago, back in high school.� �As if I�d let you.� �You know you would. Just think�every time I wanted to keep you quiet all I needed to do was to kiss you.� �Pacey if you did that�our lips would have been permanently attached all through high school!� �I know.� Pacey grinned. �By the way Jo, have I ever mentioned you talk too much?� Once again Pacey�s lips swooped down to steal another kiss. And then another. And then another once more. Finally they moved apart their breaths heaving and the sound of panting in the air. �I�ve been thinking Jo about maybe going away.� �Away?� �I was thinking that it might be nice for the two of us to go away together again.� �Like the roadtrip?� �Well not quite. But remember that small town we visited. The one with lakes and that old fantastic beach house on top of the hill. The one you said you could just see yourself living in?� �I remember.� �Well I made a few phone calls thinking it would be nice if we visit again I discovered that the owners of that house are renting it out. I thought sometime in Spring might be a nice time for us to go so if you�re interested.� �If I�m interested?? Pacey when can you book it?� �It�ll only be for two weeks but I can book it tomorrow, if you want.� �I want. I definitely want!! You can go fishing on one of those boats. Oh and remember that little bakery shop around the corner?? Remember going every morning at 5:30am so we could get the freshest loaf of bread?� �I remember.� Pacey smiled. �I guess for all your city living you�re still a small town girl at heart.� �It�s not that I don�t love city life�� �It�s just that�s there�s no place like Capeside. And we�ve finally realised that small towns do have their appeal albeit how much we hated to grow up in one.� �And sometimes it just good to just get away. To just take a break and rest.� �I thought it would be a great two weeks for us to relax and be together.� Pacey commented. �I realise things have been really busy and hectic lately and all I want to do is take you away from it all and just be with you. At first I thought about taking you to Capeside but then I realised I would have to share you with Bessie, Bodie, Alex and everyone else in Capeside. As selfish as it sounds I don�t want to share you with anyone. At least not at the moment. I want it to be just you and me because we haven�t had any time to be just Pacey and Joey.� �Have I mentioned before how much I love you?� �Probably but I need the reminders.� Pacey answered. �I love you Pacey. And thank you.� �For what?� �For being you. For loving me. For thinking of us and for being a little selfish.� Pacey hugged Joey tightly, the claddaugh ring turning around and around and around. �I�ll call the owners up tomorrow to rent the beach house.� Joey nodded her consent half yawning. Stretching out and reaching forward Pacey pulled the covers over their bodies. Joey mumbled a little her head burying itself into Pacey�s chest as her tired eyes finally gave out and closed. Without realising it Pacey let out a small yawn himself. The image of Joey�s face blurred. He blinked but his eyelids fell. Pacey couldn�t stay awake. Cradling Joey in his arms Pacey let sleep take over.
�Oh my!! It is more beautiful than I imagined!� Joey exclaimed surveying the house as she ran through all the rooms. From the outside it was a large, white painted house sitting on top of a hill overlooking a glorious view of lakes and islands and sand. There was a quaint, old fashioned feel to the place. The house had character, a character that had developed over the age of time. A well maintained garden surrounded the house with hedges and oaks. Bushes of tea-roses stood in circular formation and from the porch of the house one could survey not only the luscious gardens but also the natural scenery and its beauty. It was a place reminiscent of colonial times; the house being built by some long forgotten settler and then passed on through various hands and owners. It was a house that had seen death and births, joy and heartache, countless birthdays and weddings. For the moment it was a place that would house Pacey and Joey. There were far too many rooms for just Pacey and Joey when it was only the master bedroom that they would both be occupying. The master bedroom was large with ensuite. The windows started at the floor and came down to the ceiling in a seamless line of glass providing a magnificent view of the lakes. Sunlight streamed through the windows in a huge waved of light, dazzling and bright. Gazing at her surroundings Joey knew she was in love. It was undoubtedly going to be the most perfect holiday. She was living, or at least for two weeks, in the house of her imagination with the man of her reality. In truth, all Joey needed was Pacey to be happy but now she was basking in the glow of happiness. Pacey curled his arm around Joey delighted to see Joey so content. In New York, life was so hectic and busy that Pacey sometimes wondered how they managed to find time to breathe. Now they had space. Time to be together without the distractions of friends, family and work�.no matter how important they were in Pacey�s and Joey�s life. He watched in amusement as Joey set about trying to make the house more comfortable and livable for the two of them. She filled the fridge with groceries, made the beds, unpacked their clothes and other items and turned on the radio to one of those relax-and-easy stations. Pacey helped and there was something so wonderfully domestic about the experience. It was a feeling that Pacey could get used to, perhaps for the rest of his life. Pacey followed Joey�s instructions temporarily allowing her to boss him as she gave directions to where everything must go and what had to be done. By late afternoon they were settled in with Pacey lying asleep on one of the chairs on the porch and Joey comfortably situated on the porch swing sketching.
Dinner was a quiet event. Both Pacey and Joey prepared the meal enjoying the time together. Joey would wash the vegetables and Pacey would chop them and then hand them over to Joey to be cooked. They worked in sync all night whether it was cooking or cleaning up. Later they sat out in the front porch, simply resting and enjoying the other�s company. They talked about nothing and everything. They talked about their childhood, the future, the present. They talked about the weather and sports and current affairs. It didn�t really matter what they were saying. They were just hearing the other�s voice, listening and learning more about the hearts and minds that made up Pacey Witter and Joey Potter. They were friends. They were lovers. They were Pacey and Joey. It was the quiet, restful moments like these that Pacey and Joey loved the most. Those moments of silence when all they could hear was the sound of life in each other�s arms. These moments were so rare between them which was why they felt all the more precious. There were no words spoken. There weren�t other people or pressing business to interrupt and destroy the moment. There was no passion, no frantic making out, no kissing. It was just the two of them in a moment; restful, silent and simply being. Pacey had first realised that he had fallen in love with Joey during one of these moments. He had looked down to see her sitting beside him on the docks of Capeside and he had known. Joey had fallen in love with Pacey during one of these moments. They had been lying on the grassy lawns of their college. Joey had been bemoaning her results to Pacey who had comforted her and teased her at the same time, proving to Joey that 89% was not the end of the world. They had fallen silent after a fit of rueful laughter by Joey and Pacey�s hand had been intertwined with Joey. Feeling his fingers so intricately connected with her own something in Joey felt a rush of undeniable and indescribable feeling for her best friend. Looking back, this was the moment Joey had fallen in love with Pacey. And what were moments really? Moments, if you put them all together, were really what made a life. And these quiet moments when it was just Pacey and Joey�they would last a lifetime and beyond.
Around midnight Pacey looked down to see that Joey had fallen asleep from exhaustion. The events of the day had worn her out as she had been busy playing house. Carefully he extracted himself from her arms and lifted Joey up from the chair. With Joey in his arms Pacey walked up the stairs and into bedroom. Pacey removed the covers and gently laid Joey down to bed. Crawling inside the bed himself Pacey tucked both of them. Joey rolled towards Pacey, still asleep but conscious enough to whisper a �I love you�. Their two week holiday had just begun and it promised to be filled with many quiet moments. ~*~*~*~*~*~ Pacey spent the days fishing while Joey spent her time sketching. It didn�t matter whether or not Pacey actually caught any fish and often he would catch several large fish only to throw them back in the sea. Sometimes Joey would go out on the boat with Pacey, watching and sketching his form as he cast the line and reeled the fish in. Out in the water there was only beauty and serenity and the whole world narrowed so it was only Pacey and Joey. In the afternoons they would go for a swim in the lake near a small isolated docking pier and picnic on the sand afterwards, eating pastries bought from the local bakery. At night time they would sit on the porch or go for walks in the garden soaking in the essence of nature. It was a holiday to relax, to be together and enjoy the freedom to do nothing. As Pacey entered the shower feeling the coolness of water drop onto his body he felt, physically, all the tension that had built up during his normal, everyday life disappear. There was a certain peace to Pacey. While towelling himself dry Pacey noticed how healthy he looked. His skin was tanned by the kiss of sun and the lines of worry and dark shadows that indicated lack of sleep were now gone. Pacey had known that Joey now looked much more relaxed and content since their holiday had begun but he had not realised that the same could have been said for him. They both had really needed this break. Looking very closely at himself in the mirror Pacey saw his face crinkled with happiness and he knew he had all he ever wanted. He switched off the bathroom light as he exited the ensuite. The entire darkness of night filled the room as Pacey stepped out of the bathroom and into the bedroom, not bothering to put on any clothes. His eyes fell on Joey�s naked form basked in the glow of moon shadow and star as she gazed out at the night sky. He came to her, drawn as always. Walking those few steps across the room to the window where Joey stood, he felt that she was his beacon of light amongst all this darkness. Pacey�s hand traced the curves of Joey�s back feeling the bone of spine under the softness of skin. She arched at the feeling of his touch until Pacey�s hands finally came to rest where lower back met bottom. Joey did not acknowledge Pacey�s presence except for the small smile that shaped her lips. Her eyes were intent on the outside world, on the blackness of sky and the sparkle of stars that seemed to surround them. His lips touched the bare nakedness of shoulder and Joey�s skin was pale and luminescent in the light of the moon. It was the new moon that adorned the sky; a new moon that shone down on Pacey and Joey bathing them in its light. Pacey kissed Joey�s left shoulder, his tongue flicked out feeling the tickle of tiny hairs as he explored the vast area of skin, making love to her shoulder. A soft release of air escaped Joey�s mouth; the sound of a tiny moan that filled the quiet of the room. Joey could hear Pacey let out a gentle stream of breath that flowed and caressed. Pacey�s hand still rested on her behind warming her skin. She turned her head, her hand moving to raise Pace�s head away from her shoulder. Pacey�s head lifted and Joey angled her head in response as their lips brushed the other�s. Her arms wound around Pacey�s neck as the kiss deepened and intensified and Pacey hugged Joey close. Tiny droplets of liquid watered down from Joey�s eyes staining her cheeks. Pacey�s thumb tilted Joey�s chin up as he gazed into her eyes. �Hey.� Pacey whispered softly as he kissed her tear stained cheeks. �I love you.� Joey whispered fiercely and intensely, emotion overflowing. Joey felt the cold hardness of glass as Pacey pressed her against the window. He kissed her ardently, his lips touching everywhere as he whispered his love. Pacey suckled on her neck, nibbling on the tender flesh and Joey closed her eyes in bliss. She would never grow tired of this sensation, of the feel of Pacey against, on and in her body. Joey could never tire of the feel of Pacey�s skin or the coarseness of hair as she pulled Pacey�s head closer to her. It was a familiar ritual � Pacey�s hands sliding down the slopes and curves of Joey�s body, Joey�s fingers running across the taut and hardened muscles of Pacey�s broad chest. His mouth devoured hers, running his tongue across her teeth. Her tongue moved out to meet his and they duelled fighting a little, a playful banter. Pacey pulled his mouth away from Joey to playfully nibble on her neck before he kissed the top of her nose and lifted Joey up so she could wrap her legs around his waist. Entering Joey was as natural as breathing and they fell into an easy rhythm. They were two lovers in the night sky. Joey was pinned to the window as Pacey held her there. The blackness was all around them as the stars and moon shone in the background. They were two naked forms making love in the heavens. The glow of night light bathed their naked bodies illuminating their shapes and blessing their movements. Joey felt fulfilled as her muscles squeezed Pacey tightly, holding him within her. His tongue slid across her collar bone, kissing Joey frantically. Their movements were languid and it was pure, deep sensation that ran throughout their bodies; it was in their blood, this passion, this love. A mist of fog clouded the windows and the sighs and groans of satisfaction vibrated through the air. Instinct took over and it was just Pacey and Joey driven by unseen forces. The passion and love took over and they gripped one another. They were more frantic, less controlled and completely uninhibited. There was nothing between them, nothing too hide, no secrets, no confusion just the purity of their love and stars that shone in the night sky. They felt themselves getting closer, losing control and they just allowed the sensation to course throughout their bodies. Joey shuddered as she held Pacey tight and let the feeling wash over her. Pacey equally overwhelmed allowed his body to semi-collapse on Joey�s leaning against the window for support. Panting with breathlessness Pacey spoke, �I love you Joey. I�m completely in love with you.� His hand brushed away a strand of sweat soaked hair from Joey�s forehead. �You make me happy in a way I feel I really don�t deserve. Sometimes I think the gods will punish me for being this happy. I�m in love with you Joey and I know I want to spend the rest of my life with you.� A single tear rolled down Joey�s face and Pacey gently wiped it away. His finger played with the claddaugh ring on Joey�s hand. �I�m asking you to take this ring off and wear it on your left hand. I�m asking you Joey to show the world that your heart is taken.� �You don�t have to ask Pacey. It�s already done.� Joey smiled softly and she removed the claddaugh ring and placed it on her left hand, the crown facing outward. �There�s one more thing I�d like to ask you.� Pacey stated his stomach rolling with emotion. He carried Joey onto the bed and set her down as she watched quizzically as he searched through the closet and their bags frantically. Finally he emerged and he walked almost shyly towards Joey, a little boy expression on his face. Joey�s heart constricted with endearment and love for this man before her. Kneeling down Pacey lay his head on Joey�s lap, kissing her knees before he raised his head. �Josephine Lillian Potter. I don�t have the words to say just how much you mean to me. I can�t say this eloquently or poetically enough so I�m just going to say it. Jo, will you marry me?� There was this hopeful, fragile look in Pacey�s eyes as he produced a velvet box containing a diamond ring. She looked deeply into his eyes and wondered if it was possible to break that fragile soul of Pacey�s, to destroy his hopes. Joey opened her mouth and gave him the answer she had to say� |
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