Disclaimer: I don’t own Dawson’s Creek. Columbia TriStar and the WB and Kevin Williamson? Paul Stupin? etc., all people who are not me, do. Good enough?

Author’s Note: I didn’t start watching Dawson’s Creek until mid-third season, and so I missed all of the Pacey/Andie and Dawson/Joey. But I’ve done my best to write them how I think they would sound. Also, I don’t dislike the D/J relationship, per say, but I think Dawson is selfish, low, and a lot of other non-complimentary things. But don’t worry! I won’t let it influence my writing.

Setting: Everything else happened, but none of the D/J. Andie and Pacey are together, so I guess sometime second season, and Jen might or might not have dated Dawson, but the important part is, she isn’t dating him now. From Joey’s POV. (Point Of View) Also, Dawson’s parents arrangements may be messed up. I’m sorry! Like I said, I haven’t seen the show at that point.

Rating: PG-13

Chapter Two

**************

Turns out that we hadn’t been keeping too good a track of how many classes we’d skipped, and today’s had exceeded the limits. Upon finding us nowhere on campus, another big no-no, they’d called Bessie, and Dawson’s parents. Expecting we’d be together, they hadn’t been too worried, which was unfortunate, because I definitely prefer dealing with Bessie worried, than I do to trying to deal with her mad.

We’d apparently been gone a lot longer than I thought, and sunset was upon us when they had finally decided to check the dock. Needless to say, they weren’t real happy by then, and finding us ‘acting like tramps’ (Bessie’s words, not mine) had not been the high point of their day.

So, I got dragged home by the hair, almost literally, and after I spent about three hours being chewed out by Bessie, and making several promises I knew I couldn’t really keep, I finally escaped the crazy lady, and headed for Dawson’s house, expecting to find him grounded. And I did indeed find him glued somewhat unwillingly to his homework.

When I crawled through the window, his eyes lit up. “Jo!” But then a worried expression crossed his face, and he put a finger to his lips.

I climbed down from the sill silently, and accepted his welcoming kiss. Hmm. I could really get used to this. “What’s going on, Dawson?” I asked.

His face still wore that worried frown. “You’re not supposed to be here.” He replied.

“What do you mean?” I really didn’t know what was going on. I’d been in and out of Dawson’s bedroom since I was three years old. In fact, I seem to recall several naps curled up to his chest as a toddler, even before my third birthday.

“Dad has decided to take the ‘parent’ role in our relationship, or so he says, and has banned me from having guests for a week, and you, in particular, for a lot longer.”

“What for?” I guess if I had thought about it a little more, I would have realized it, but I was too dense.

Dawson blushed. “Well, he saw us at the docks, and he says that he won’t condone us having a relationship of a more...physical nature, so you are officially banned from my room.”

I looked at the floor, humiliation rushing over me like a wave of anguish. Dawson immediately took his place at my side, and hugged me to him. “Joey, it’ll be all right. This is the man that couldn’t keep his hands off my mother for my whole childhood. He understands.”

I pushed Dawson away angrily. “Sure he understands! But it’s still humiliating as hell, Mister Let’s Over-Analyze Everything!”

Dawson’s eyes twinkled. “I thought we weren’t doing that anymore.”

His tone was so calm and unaffected that I couldn’t help but relax. Recovering a little, I met Dawson’s eyes again. “But...not that I’m ready for that...but if I was...it’s not like it matters that your dad banned us from your room.”

Dawson nodded. “I know that. You know that. And my dad actually figured that out, too. His exact words were ‘I know you’ll just find someplace else to do it if you really want to, but by doing this, I won’t be condoning your actions.’ I think he’s trying to keep himself off the hook with Mom.”

I nodded a little. “Okay. So...where are we going to hang out?”
“Well, I guess we could try the library and the dock. And if we need somewhere more private, we could always go to the ruins.”

I swatted him a little. “Don’t go getting any ideas, mister!”

Dawson grinned. “All right. It won’t be easy...but I’ll try.”

I blushed a little. “Dawson...” I trailed off, not even knowing what I really had wanted to say.

“It’s true, Jo. I know we’re trying to go slow...but I’m really liking all this time we spend together.”

I looked at my shoes, and then back up into Dawson’s hopeful face, so cute, all framed with that blond hair. “Yeah. I like it too.” I replied softly.

Just then, the front door opened, and Mr. Leery called out. “Dawson! I’m home! And I hope I don’t find Joey up there with you!”

I shot a half-worried, half-amused look his way, and started to climb back out the window. “Well, I wouldn’t want to disappoint your father, so I’d better go.”

Dawson looked disappointed, but he nodded. “It wouldn’t do me any good to get grounded for another week. See you at school, Jo?”

“Yeah.” I leaned over and kissed softly, then quietly slid out the window and down the ladder, just in time, because I heard Dawson’s door open, and Mr. Leery’s heavy footsteps proceed into the room.

When I got back to the Icehouse, Bessie wasn’t in a better mood. In fact, it was actually worse, if that was possible. With Bodie gone, we were short-staffed, and Jack and I didn’t make the best of possible teams currently. What with his coming out, our relationship had been broken off abruptly, and I’d promised to support him, but we were still kind of...weird.

Poor Jack was having a hard time, and I was trying really hard to keep my side of the promise, but I had my own life to worry about. Besides, we were still a little...awkward. We’d been a couple for a while before he’d faced the reality about his sexual identity, and I, while willing to accept him for who he was, couldn’t just turn off my feelings like that.

I guess it was good that I’d never really loved him. A great deal of our relationship had been based on the physical. I’d liked the way he looked, and he was good friend, and I’d never given much thought to whether I liked him in the romantic sense or not. I guess I hadn’t. Because to be honest, I wasn’t too broken up when he explained.

After another torturous night earning our meager living, I settled into bed (Currently, the couch), and sighed. Then I sat up again, pulled Alexander’s pacifier from behind my back, and tried to get settled in.

An hour later, I decided it wasn’t working. Weighing the odds, I decided to head for Dawson’s house. I mean, who else was I supposed to go to? I couldn’t show my face at Sheriff Witter’s house, Pacey was more than likely at Andie’s house, Jen and I got along better now, but not well enough. So, hoping that Bessie wouldn’t miss me, and the Dawson’s dad either wouldn’t mind or wouldn’t find out, I carefully pulled on a jacket and shoes and left the house.

Crawling through Dawson’s window, I watched him roll over as my shadow crossed his face, and I froze, not wanting him to alert his father. Suddenly unsure of whether I should be there, I attempted to leave before he noticed me.

“Joey?”

Oops. Too late. “Yeah, Dawson.”

“What are you doing here?”

I climbed the rest of the way through his window, and sat inside on the sill. “I couldn’t sleep. I know this is stupid, we might get caught, but I didn’t know where else to go and I’ll be a wreck if I don’t get some sleep, and I need the grades and--”

Dawson cut my endless blabbering off. “Joey.”

I took my first good look at him. I’d been avoiding his gaze because I was so nervous, but something in his tone calmed me considerably, and I caught his steady gaze. “Yeah?”

“It’s okay.”

Jumping off the sill, I rushed into my best friend/boyfriend’s? arms. And all of a sudden, I felt the need to cry. Dawson just held me tight as I sobbed for a few moments, leaving me only for a second, to lock his door.

I finally lifted my head from his shoulder, and looked at the 5-by-5 inch wet mark I had left. “I’m sorry, Dawson. I didn’t mean to do that.”

Dawson lifted my chin, and looked me hard in the eyes. “It’s really okay, Joey. My guess is that you needed that.” He paused a moment, contemplating something. I guess he decided that to just spit it out was the preferable means of delivery, because he seemed to gather courage before he spoke.

I stiffened a little, in preparation for what he might say. Were we breaking up? Could we even break up, since we weren’t officially a couple? I really didn’t want to find out. My instinct was to start blabbering again, but I held back, and forced myself to wait openly for Dawson’s comment or question or statement or whatever was about to come out of his mouth.

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