"Wake up, sleepyhead." The whispered words tickle my ears.

I snuggle deeper into the warm bed and make a grumpy sound, turning my back to the source of the intrusion.

He chuckles and pulls away the covers to kiss my shoulder. "Hey, you. Wake up. Break's over, time to go back to school."

I groan and open one eye to look at him. He's already dressed for work, sitting beside me in bed and looking cheerful. "C'mon, Jo," he continues with a smile. "I made breakfast."

That wakes me up. "You did?" I turn to face him but stay under the blanket. The holidays were over, but the weather was still definitely in North Pole mode.

"Yup." He nods. "My specialty. Scrambled eggs and toast." He grins.

I laugh. "Yum." I sit up and sigh heavily. "I can't believe the break's over. It's too cold to go back to school!"

"Is that really Josephine Potter I hear, complaining about school? Surely my ears deceive me."

"Ha ha." I roll my eyes at him. "When did you become such a morning person?"

"Since I started my own business, remember?" Pacey retorts smugly, standing up. "Now, get off your butt before you make us both late."

I watch as he leaves the room, a mischievous smile creeping across my face as I appreciate his tall, fit frame. He glances back and catches me, one of his eyebrows arching up. "Enjoying yourself, Potter?"

I ignore the hot flush that colors my cheeks and give him an impish grin. "Just admiring the view."

"Of course," he agrees, continuing on his way out. "After all, what's not to admire, right?"

"Narcissist!" The pillow I throw in his direction thumps against the door and falls to the floor. I smile to myself and get out of bed.

He's reading the paper by the time I finish getting ready. As promised, there's a plate of scrambled eggs and toast on the breakfast table, still steaming, and I sit across from him with a grateful smile on my face. "Thanks, Pace. Have I told you lately how great you are?"

"No. But I know you think so." He replies, winking. "OJ?"

I shake my head. "Coffee. Definitely."

He takes out a blue and green mug from the cupboard - I'd gotten into the habit of using that particular one every time, and it was now considered my own personal mug - fills it with coffee, and sets it before me. "I have to go." He gives me a quick kiss on the lips. "See you later. Have fun on your first day back."

I wrinkle my nose. "Pacey?"

He stops at the door and looks at me. He hasn't even left yet, and already I'm starting to miss him.

"I love you."

Pacey walks back towards me and kisses me again, his hand cradling the back of my head and angling it so that his tongue can invade my mouth and tangle with mine. My eyes close and my stomach begins to flutter. I feel weak, and my head leans into his hand as I part my lips wider and kiss him back, a soft moan escaping my throat.

He runs his tongue over my upper lip, then the lower, and pulls back slowly, our heated breaths mingling. My eyelids slowly open and I look into his deep blue eyes. "I love you." He replies gruffly, tracing a finger down my cheek to my lips.

I smile up at him and kiss his finger. "Have a good day."

***

"Joey!"

I break to a halt in the middle of the hall and turn around, folders and papers in hand. I'd been running around all day working on my applications for internship - one of the requirements for my Art History degree. "Amanda!" I smile, walking towards the tall blonde who had called my name. She's only five years older than me, but she was the professor in one of my classes last semester.

"I've been looking for you. Do you have a minute?"

I nod and follow her into her office. "Sure. What's up?" I take the proffered seat in front of her desk and glance around the familiar room. Amanda kept the atmosphere in her classes extremely casual - hence the first name basis - and a lot of our small group discussions had been held here.

"Have you found a place for your internship yet?"

I hold up the papers in my hand. "I have an interview at the MoMA next week."

She smiles widely at me. "I've been hired by the Prado Museum to help prepare their new collection for exhibition."

"That's great!" I exclaim, genuinely happy for her.

She nods. "I've also been authorized to take a couple students with me as my assistants. I want you to come with me, Joey."

Her announcement makes me feel like I've been punched in the stomach, the wind knocked out of me. Hard. "But - the Prado is in…"

"Madrid." Amanda finishes excitedly. "It would be a fantastic opportunity for you."

Wow is all I can think right now. I'm incapable of any kind of coherent thought. It would be a fantastic opportunity, and who in their right mind would pass up a chance to go to Spain for free? Part of my brain gets ahead of me a little and I begin to imagine myself working at the Prado in Madrid, when something in my heart pinches.

Pacey.

Oh, God. Just the thought of being away from him for one whole semester is making it extremely difficult for me to breathe.

"This…" I speak softly around the lump in my throat. "This is going to take one whole semester?"

"Uh-huh," she confirms, shuffling some papers on her desk. "I've discussed it with the dean, and we agreed that any other classes you might have to take may be taken at a university there." She stops and sits down to look at me. "So all you have to do is give me your answer."

I smile, hiding the fact that a part of me feels like it's breaking in two.