Ganging Up On the Sun

[Snick]

It was a cold, wet December night in Providence and Jen was running late. Again. There were only a handful of people staying in the residence hall over break - mostly upperclassmen and two other sophomore girls she'd met in her drawing class, who Jen had agreed to go out with tonight. It was New Year's Eve, after all, and any excuse to get out of her room was more than welcome. The girls had insisted on going down to the campus bar, and even though it was sure to be crowded with loud, drunk patrons due to the holiday, Jen was kind of looking forward to it. They had headed down to the common room already, telling Jen that they weren't waiting for long. There was a knock at the door to her single room as she pulled her dress over her head. "Just a minute! I'm almost ready," she called.

The end of the fall semester at RISD couldn't have come at a better time - she'd been stressed over the coursework and exams almost since the first day of classes. She knew that she wouldn't regret taking the gap year between freshman and sophomore years, but the lapse of time between school responsibilities had caused her to become lazy with her assignments, and her grades early in the semester reflected it. However, the semester was over, and she was still there, so she counted it as a success.

She'd decided not to go home over break. Her parents had begged her, of course, but Jen figured that by staying in Providence she'd be able to relax and hopefully get a leg up on the next semester. This wasn't to say she didn't want to go home - on the contrary, she wanted to see her family more than anything, but the topic of her grades would have come up over Christmas dinner, and Jen didn't really feel like arguing during the holidays. She knew that by staying at school over break she wouldn't get to see Wash, either. She'd called him a few days ago, on Christmas, but he hadn't called her back yet. It didn't bother Jen too much. She knew that he was undoubtedly busy with his own studies.

Another knock sounded at her door as she ran her fingers through her long, curly hair. She rolled her eyes as she stood up and made her way over to the door. "Okay, okay! I said I'd be down in a sec - " her words died in her throat as she flung the door open, definitely not expecting to see the person standing in front of her.

---

Wash had gone home for break, and he had loved every second of it. As great as being in college was, as cool as it was to live with the Muggles and be his own boss and be out in the real world, he loved being back among the familiarity that was Boston, specifically Beacon Hill, and more specifically the Rockefeller residence.

It hadn't been all leisure, though. Sure, he had gone out, spent time with the family, visited old friends. But being an Ivy League junior meant that he had plenty of work. That was what had consumed most of his time, and would continue to take over his life until he was finished.

He had also spent a good deal of time thinking about someone whom he had not seen in ages, who had traveled the world and was now in school far away from him. A call to her house revealed that she had stayed in Providence over vacation, and he promptly apparated over there.

And so it was Wash that stood outside her door when she threw it open, in his green school sweater and with a small smile on his face. "Happy New Year."

---

Jen was so happy to see Wash there that she wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. Instead she settled for launching herself at him, throwing her arms around his neck in a hug and kissing him quickly. "You are the best Christmas-birthday-New Year's present ever. What are you doing here? I thought you were back home?" she asked, grinning.

It felt like she hadn't seen him in forever, and here he was outside her room. In Providence. In the middle of winter. She giggled. "Come on in - I was going to go out, but I think my plans just changed." The girls would forgive her.

---

He caught her and held her tight. He had missed her, but he hadn't quite realized how much until she was standing in front of him. Swept up in the moment, he kissed her back, lifting the smaller girl just a little bit off the ground. "You're a sight for sore eyes yourself." She had a lot of questions. "I came to see you. I was in Boston for Christmas, and we have that thing called ma-" He checked to make sure there was nobody around. "Magic. I apparated."

He looked around furtively. "I'm allowed in? I'm not going to take a door to the face, am I?" He stepped over the threshold with a smile. "Sorry I didn't return your call."

---

Once she was set back down on the ground, she let go of him - only to grab his hand and tug him inside, grinning as she did so. "The only way this door is gonna slam in your face is if I do it myself," she said teasingly, closing the door behind them. She'd been lucky enough (okay, so maybe she'd paid extra) to get one of the only two single rooms in the entire residence hall, and she had never been happier for that than right now. "Sorry it's a mess - I've been working on some drawings."

The room was in the typical dormitory style, but since it was a single, it was much smaller than the rest in the house. It held only a desk (which was covered in stacks of sketchbooks and various art supplies), a dresser (on top of which sat her record player and a stack of albums), an easel with a half-finished painting, and her bed. Most people would call it plain, but Jen loved it. After spending seven years of her life with a roommate, it was nice to have an area all to herself.

"It's okay - I knew you'd call back eventually, but I definitely didn't expect you to Apparate over!" She smiled. "I missed you. How's everyone back home?"

---

He looked around. "Nice place you've got here." She was lucky to have her own space. "I got a kid from Cleveland as a roommate. Not as neat as I would've liked," because Wash was obviously so meticulous about cleanliness. "But we get along just fine. It must be nice having your own space."

"If I'm off, and you're off, why wouldn't I come calling?" Old fashioned wording. Why not? "All is well back home. My parents say hello. Your parents say you should call more." He smiled again, a small little look. "And I'm here to spend a special night with a special girl."

---

Jen smiled and led him over to sit down on the edge of her bed. "It's okay. Harder to be social and make friends, but it's especially nice to have it all to myself when I have homework and don't want to be bothered." She grinned. "Or when my boyfriend comes over to visit."

She sighed. "I know, I know - I just didn't feel like arguing over my grades. I'll call tomorrow," she said, referring to her parents. "I mean, bad grades and me go pretty much hand in hand, but I'm supposed to be good at this," she said, gesturing to the various art supplies scattered around the room.

"Spending the night, are you?" She caught the look he gave her and she raised an eyebrow, attempting to keep her cool as she blushed. She suddenly felt like the room was way too warm. "It is a special night if you're here."

---

"Nice as it would be to be alone, it's good to have someone around. You know, when you need to throw things." He smiled and sat down next to her. "I've got a good setup, though. Not too far from anything. And a nice view, which doesn't hurt." He didn't go over to the window to see what could be seen.

Wash shook his head in disbelief. "How is it possible that you aren't among the top of the top of your classes? You're the best I know." She was actually one of the few serious artists he knew. Jen, Mrs. Moon, and... Makepeace?

"Come on, you know that's not going to happen." Wash was all about that marriage thing, he wasn't going to change that because he hadn't seen his girlfriend. "No matter how long it's been since I've seen you." He checked his watch. "In just a little bit," relatively speaking, "A whole new millennium. A completely blank slate, and we get to make a mark from the beginning." He couldn't think of anywhere he'd rather be.

---

"Next time, I'm coming to visit you. Providence is nice, but boring. I miss home." Nevermind the fact that home was only an hour away by car and seconds by Apparition, she still missed it. "The view's nice from here, though. You can see all of campus and a little bit of the river, too. Oh, and it was a nice surprise to find Rockefeller Library only three blocks away." She grinned and nudged him.

She groaned and flopped backwards onto the bed, bringing her hand up to cover her eyes. "Ugh, I have no idea. I guess I just got lazy over the time I spent away and I couldn't get back into the swing of things. I mean... I passed, but I'm definitely not winning any GPA related awards any time soon."

The hand that was covering her eyes moved slightly, and she blinked up at him. "I know," she said, the blush still on her cheeks. She knew that was not happening any time soon, and she was more than okay with that. She smiled and took his hand. "It's still nice that you're here. How much longer until midnight?"

---

"You think Hanover, New Hampshire is more exciting than Providence? It's probably a tenth of the size, by population." And his classmates liked to complain about distance. It didn't bother him, he liked driving and he could apparate, but most of them were not so lucky. "My name is all over the place, I'm telling you." He smiled.

"And I thought trips to Europe were supposed to inspire and reinvigorate young artists. You need to step up your game." He had taken no such luxuries, with trips around the world. Well, he had, but they had been short family trips as a sort of goodbye tour, not a year abroad.

He flopped down next to her. "I know you know." He kissed the top of her head before he checked his watch. "Call it an hour and a half. Why, you have plans?"

[Snick]

Jen laughed. "Yes, that's what I was hoping to do by spending break here on campus. You know, get a head start on next semester? Which, by the way, starts Monday for me - I'm doing wintersession. Just one class, though." She rolled over on her side to face him and smiled.

"We-ell," she began, wrinkling her nose. "I was supposed to be meeting some girls from the floor down at the bar for a New Year's Eve party. But I'd much rather stay here with you."

---

"I've got some time off before classes start back up. Thinking of spending it at Pocantico, with the cousins. Or go far away from family for once." He didn't know of anybody out west. "What's this class of yours? Did you at least get something interesting?" His classes had ranged from tedious to mildly interesting, but he would hope that she was enjoying herself a bit more.

"And I was supposed to sit around all night with my father's friends, not sipping from the wine glass I was supposed to be holding. But you're right, this is much better."

---

"Do what makes you happy," she said with a smile, shifting closer to him. "You know how I feel about traveling. If you wanna go, just go!" Which is exactly what she'd done after graduation. First, there had been the road trip cross-country, and then she'd skipped town entirely to go to Italy and France. "I say do it now, remember it later." She laughed, leaning forward to kiss him on the cheek.

"Okay, so you're totally gonna laugh, but the class is actually called 'Painting Without Paint'. It's supposed to stimulate our creativity by forcing us to find other means to get something on the canvas." She laughed. "Should be interesting."

"Seriously, I'm so glad you're here. I would much rather count down the minutes to a new millenium with you than anything else."

---

"Yeah, I know that's how you feel, I watched it happen." He smiled. "I would ask you to come with me, but..." But she had signed up for this class. "I'll end up in New York, probably. I don't see the other Rockefellers all that much, outside of family functions."

He laughed. "That's ridiculous." He laughed some more. "Does it really matter how you make what you make? Find your medium, and stick with it. Right? Like," He had no examples. "I don't know. You like to paint right? Just keep doing that."

He smiled. "Right now, best decision I've made in a long time. Well, except for that beanbag chair." He smiled. Then he bent his head and kissed her, softly.

---

"Starting to wish I hadn't signed up for this class now," she said with a small smile, poking him gently. "I'll be back home for the summer, anyway. And it's not like I can't call you, or Apparate up for a weekend or something. You'll have fun in New York with your family."

She rolled her eyes, but grinned. "I know, but it's the only elective that didn't have any prerequisites that I needed. And I'm pretty sure if I use actual paint I might fail the class. I thought about using magic, but then I figured that might be cheating a bit."

She returned the kiss, her heart racing. It was still hard to believe that he was actually here in her dorm room. "Hard to believe that was almost four years ago," she said quietly, smiling as she pulled away.

---

He didn't comment. As much as he wanted to spend time with her, he also wanted her to graduate. He had a bit of a head start, but he was on track to graduate with good grades. He had found something he enjoyed, and he was running with it.

He chuckled. "Yeah, I don't think paint would be allowed in a class about not using paint." Then he thought for a second. "You could probably ace the class with magic. But we have that stupid International Statute of Secrecy. I don't think having to pass a class qualifies as necessary."

He smiled at her and took a deep breath. "Four years? Wow. I miss that place." He meant the school, not the Hippie house. "You know, if you come to Boston for a weekend, I'm sure there would be pie, just sitting there waiting for you."

---

"Yeah, dumb rules. I'd be top of my class if I could use magic." She laughed. "I'll be honest with you, though - I really like living among the Muggles. It's... simpler? If that makes any sense."

Her smile grew wide. "Oh, well, if there's going to be pie involved I'll just come home every weekend." She winked at him before rolling back onto her back. "I miss Salem sometimes, too. Except curfew. I love not having to sneak around anymore." She reached over to squeeze his hand.

---

"I don't know if magic would help me study." He laughed with her. "It's certainly different. It's... I love magic. But it's nice to have a break." Which isn't to say that he didn't use it all the time. He was just forced to hide it for the most part. "I don't think I could go completely Muggle, though. Not after having used magic my whole life."

"The invitation is open. We'd love to have you whenever." His parents had taken a while to warm up to Jen, but they had gotten over that long ago. "Yeah, it's nice to be in your room, without the threat of becoming a toad." He had never liked that threat.

---

Jen nodded. She knew exactly what he meant. Another perk of having her own room was that she didn't have to hide her magic as much as she would have if she'd had a roommate, which was great when she was running late and didn't have time to dry her hair or iron her clothes. She hadn't yet risked trying to Apparate to class, though - campus was too crowded to guarantee a secluded spot to arrive at, and she rather liked the exercise anyway.

She grinned up at the ceiling. "Mmm, pie. I'm totally taking you up on that visit the next weekend I have free. It'll be nice to see your parents again, too. I suppose I should visit mine soon..."

---

"It must be nice to have your own little magic haven." Wash had no such luxury. He did, however, have The Pensieve, a small wizarding bar on the edge of campus. There were enough magical people at school. Not many, but enough for a bar. "Had I known Providence was this nice," Or her dorm room, really, "I would've visited long ago."

He smiled and moved closer to her, almost touching. "You might want to let me know first, unless you'd like to spend some quality time with my folks." He didn't understand how they got along. He hadn't expected it, but he was very happy. "And because I want pie."

[Snick]

She shrugged, turning her head to look at him. "It's the only place on campus I can do magic," she said. When she first started attending RISD, she'd thought seriously about leaving her wand in her room, but she couldn't do it. It was almost like a security blanket for Jen - everywhere she went, the wand went too. It was never out of arm's reach. "I'll be glad when I can do it all the time again. I haven't met any other wizards or witches here, and it gets pretty lonely." She smiled a bit sadly. "You're welcome to come visit any time."

Letting out a hearty laugh, she rolled over on her side, placing her hand on his chest and her head in the crook of his shoulder. "Nope. That pie is all. mine."

---

"We have a little place, just for us." He meant the wizarding population, not the two people in the room. "One day we'll be out in the real world. We'll have our magic then." They would also have actual responsibilities, but he didn't want to think about that just yet. He had another year and a half, right?

He rested his head on top of hers. "You can't find it in your heart to share my pie with me?" He smiled, remembering that first pie, at Hope and Glory. "Wow, it really has been four years."

---

He was right, of course - just a few more years and she'd be able to do all the magic she wanted, whenever she wanted. It wasn't as if she was going to be living in the Muggle world completely - she was lucky that her chosen profession could be done in both worlds. She nodded, settling into his side.

"I suppose I could share," Jen said with a mock-exasperated sigh. She giggled, tilting her head up to press a kiss to his jaw. "Did you honestly see yourself here four years ago?" She blushed, remembering the giant crush she had on him back then. "I never imagined you liked me as much as I liked you," she said.

---

"Here? Lying in bed," Not like that, "With a beautiful woman? No. In life, as a student with decent grades at a good school?" He thought for a moment. "Yeah, probably. This, though," He looked around the room. "Never in a million years." He laughed. "I never imagined I would be able to tell that I liked you."

He pondered, holding her hand on his chest. "Where do you see yourself four years from now?" It was a scary thought, the future. "At the ripe old age of twenty four?"

---

Jen blushed. "You think I'm beautiful?" She grinned, her foot nudging his leg. "I was so nervous when I kissed you the first time, you know."

She was stumped by his question. She hadn't really thought into the future all that much, except to graduation. She laughed, though. "Hmm, twenty four," she said, closing her eyes in thought. "I'll still be painting, maybe showing some of my pieces around the country in different museums. I'd like to move back home - to Boston, I mean, not with my parents. And..." she paused, taking a deep breath, "With you." She smiled. "What about you?"

---

"Of course I do. I thought so then, too." He grinned. "Kissing you was the scariest thing I've ever done." Not anymore, of course.

"I want to shape the future. So I'll be getting ready for a run for a congressional seat. That's my plan. I just hope I can do it with you." Not like that. "The real question is if you'll be painting with or without paint." He smiled and leaned into her.

---

She burst into laughter, burying her head into his chest. "Pfffft, with paint, of course. There's only so much you can do with things you find just laying around."

She grinned up at him. "I'm not going anywhere, so I guess you're stuck with me. Maybe I'll even make your campaign posters." Her foot nudged his again as her heart skipped in her chest. With her traveling so much, they hadn't really talked about the future together, or even if they were going to have a future together. It was thrilling and terrifying all at the same time.

---

"Are you stuck if it's where you want to be?" Wash turned to face her. "I mean..." He leaned and kissed her. There are times when it's best to say what you want to say without actually saying it. "We can do great things together."

He nudged her back. "I almost wish you hadn't taken the year off" He knew she had enjoyed it, that didn't mean he wouldn't have preferred that she stay in the States, where communication was simpler and the distance between them was smaller (and expressed in miles, as it should be).

---

She kissed him back, putting all the feelings she hadn't said into it. Her stomach was doing flip-flops and she grinned when he pulled away. "We certainly can."

"I wish you would have come with me," she shot back playfully. She knew he wouldn't have come along even if she'd asked him - he was doing great things up at Dartmouth and she hadn't wanted him to lose focus on his studies. She was fine with putting herself a year behind. The time off from school was definitely invigorating, and she'd come back with renewed inspiration for her art. But as much as she loved it, she wasn't going out of the country again without him. She'd missed him too much.

---

"If only I could've. But you know I went straight to work after graduation." He had, first at various charities and then an early start at school. "And I could never have asked you not to go." She really seemed to have gotten a lot out of it, inspiration and the whole bit.

"I'm sure we'll have plenty of opportunities to explore the world. We've got a long life ahead, right?" He had no intention of dying any time soon. "There's certainly plenty to see."

[Snick]

"I know. It was the best thing for both of us, but it really sucked being so far away for so long." Jen curled her fingers into the fabric of his shirt. "We have all the time in the world." She smiled. She certainly wasn't planning on leaving him (by choice or by force) and it was nice to know that he saw a future for them, too.

She sighed happily. If someone had told her in high school that she'd be spending New Year's Eve with her boyfriend in her dorm room, she would have laughed dismissively. But here they were. "Time check?" she asked, hoping they hadn't missed it.

---

"You know, when James Bond said that, his wife was murdered." It was true. In one of the early movies. "You don't think..." He made a show of looking around as if someone was about to shoot him. "Didn't particularly like that one. Lazenby just couldn't hack it. Although he may be portrayed as inferior because his one movie was sandwiched by Sean Connery..." He was getting sidetracked, big time.

He checked his watch. "Twenty minutes, almost exactly." He paused. "And then it's a whole new world." Not really. As far as Wash knew, they had fixed the Y2K issue, and the world wasn't really going to end, cool as that would be.

---

She laughed. "I don't think I'll be getting murdered anytime soon," she said, propping herself up on her elbow. "Plus, everybody knows that Roger Moore is the superior Bond." She remembered begging her parents to rent all the Bond movies after Wash had told her he liked them, and to her surprise, she enjoyed them as well.

"Most of the Muggles around here are freaking out about tonight," she said, rolling her eyes. "They think the world's going to end." She held no such belief in the Y2K frenzy - she thought it was silly, and even if something did happen, she was sure magic could fix it. She grinned, getting an idea. "So, okay, if the world was really going to end tonight, what would you want to do?"

---

"If it's not Connery, it's got to be Brosnan. He's the man." As long as you forgot about a certain musical that would be released a few years later. "Moore isn't bad, though. Not bad at all." He was glad she knew the movies now. "But yeah, the original Bonds can't be topped."

He grinned at her question. "Things I'm not allowed to do." He agreed with her, though. The world wasn't ending. They would wake up the next day, it would be January first of the year 2000. Strange thought, that was.

---

She shook her head. "Nah, I'm not a big fan of Brosnan." She'd seen the most recent one at the movie theater in town just a few weeks ago, and she hadn't been impressed. "But I will agree that Connery is pretty good."

"I had a feeling you were going to say that," she laughed, looking down at him. "And for the record, that's my answer too." She wasn't impatient, really. She grinned, leaning down for a quick kiss.

---

"I think you're resisting because he's new." He smiled, not because of the conversation but because of where he was. "Brosnan is Bond. He just has that air about him, in both movies. I'll tell you who isn't Bond, though." Pause for dramatic effect. "Dalton. He just didn't fit." Wash was very opinionated on Bond actors.

"I know that's your answer. And I'm still not spending the night." He smiled and met her kiss, then moved back and propped himself up as she had. "One day, perhaps."

---

"That may be," she said, picking at the quilt on the bed, "but you can't honestly tell me that The World Is Not Enough was better than any Connery or Moore movie. I almost walked out of the theater." She laughed.

"Maybe someday," she agreed, giving him a shy smile.

---

"Yeah, but Goldeneye is right up there with The Spy Who Loved Me." Which, he knew, was a Moore movie. "Although the Bond Girl may put the latter over the top. The Russian girl." He poked her teasingly. "And The World Is Not Enough wasn't great, but it wasn't that bad."

"We'll have to see, won't we..." He poked her again. "We only live twice, you know." He answered her small smile with one of his own.

---

She giggled and squirmed when he poked her - he knew exactly where she was the most ticklish. She poked him back. "I have never failed on a mission, Commander," she said, affecting a terrible Russian accent. She laughed, shaking her head. "I'll give it another shot. The movie, that is."

A loud (but somewhat muted) cheer was heard from outside, and Jen sat up fully, her head turning toward the window. "I guess it's almost time," she said with a smile. "New year, new beginning!"

---

He laughed, both from the poke and from the ridiculous accent. "Yeah, I don't think you need to repeat that." It was better than he had expected, and certainly better than any British accent he could manage, but that didn't make it good.

He checked his watch again, then figured he shouldn't have all the fun, and took it off to place between them. The big hand was three notches away from the witching hour. "Are you ready for the brave new world?"

[Snick]

"C'mon, that was pretty good," she grinned, poking him again. "I mean, forget painting. Maybe I should be pursuing more theatrical arts." She dissolved into giggles. Yeah, right. There was a reason she never got on stage, and it wasn't because she had stage fright.

She reached over and took his hand in hers with a smile. "I'm ready for anything, so long as I've got you."

---

"Oh, yeah." He rolled his eyes. "That's where the big money is, bad Russian accents." He paused. "Yeah, you might want to stick to canvas." He looked around the room again, admiring what art he could see. For an artist, the walls seemed fairly barren.

"You know it." He squeezed her hand and kissed her quickly, then checked the watch one last time. They had just over a minute left. "Had I thought this out a little better, I would've brought champagne with me." Or at least something festive to drink. They had come a long way from sparkling juice in Hope and Glory. "But alas, we will cross over dry."

---

She smiled as she watched him look around the room. She'd meant to grab all of the pieces she'd done that semester from the student art gallery, but she hadn't expected Wash to drop by for a visit, so she'd had them sent home to her parents. Most of the recent things she'd been working on were contained in the sketchbooks piled up on her desk.

"It's okay. There's always next year." Jen grinned. Hopefully they'd be back in Boston to do this next year - she was definitely not missing the holidays with her family again. The cheering outside got louder, and she could hear the beginnings of a countdown. Turning to face him, she smiled as the party-goers outside shouted. Three... two... one...

"Happy New Year, Wash." She smiled, then leaned forward to press her lips to his.

---

"Happy N-" He couldn't finish even his word before she kissed him. He kissed her back, the relief from his subconscious fear of doom (Wash being a very superstitious person) washing over him along with the feelings being generated by the woman before him. It was an excellent way to start off the new millennium.

He pulled away and smiled at her, caressing her cheek with the hand that wasn't supporting his weight. "Happy New Year, Jen."

---

It was amazing to her that after almost four years together, he could still make her dizzy when he kissed her. She leaned into his touch, a smile and a blush crossing her face. She hoped that him being here tonight would set the tone for the entire year - she knew all the old stories about what you were supposed to do on New Year's to ensure a good year. Heart racing, she reached up with her free hand and placed it over his heart. "This is going to be the best year yet," she said quietly.

She hadn't known when exactly it had happened, but she knew she was completely and totally head over heels for Wash. Maybe it had happened slowly - maybe it had happened all at once. In any case, she prayed to the good Lord that he knew how she felt.

---

He smiled. "From your mouth to God's ears." He paused. "I heard an old lady say it on the T." It was a lovely thing to say. "Let's make it so." He kissed her softly, for just a second. The year would be as good as they made it, right? And if things continued the way they had gone for the past few minutes, there wouldn't be much work going on.

"Do you have any idea how much I l- adore you?" He couldn't say it. He'd wanted to since graduation, the want had intensified while she was away, but he still couldn't do it. Instead he smiled a little and tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear.

---

She laughed at the old phrase - it sounded like something her grandmother used to say, but it was relevant. "Yes, let's," she said, nodding in agreement, barely having time to register that he'd kissed her again. "Just think, only a few months until summer, and then you won't be able to get rid of me for three whole months." She grinned teasingly.

The blush that had crept across her face deepened, but she smiled. "I might have a vague idea," she murmured, scooting closer, until she was almost pressed right up against him. She kissed him slowly, the hand that was resting on his chest sliding up so that her fingertips were grazing the hair at the nape of his neck. She was lightheaded as she pulled away, and she was sure he could hear her heart pounding in her chest. "I love you," she said simply, blinking up at him.

---

"I couldn't get rid of you in a million years." Even if he wanted to, which he certainly didn't. There was something about her that kept drawing him in. She was just all-around Wash material.

He returned her kiss with passion, his hand slipping almost to mirror hers on him. Any year that started like this was going to be pretty good. That was a given. And then, when they broke apart, she said what he had been trying to say for years. "I... loveyoutoo."

---

Although she had guessed that his feelings for her ran just as deep as hers did for him, it was still really nice to hear out loud. A slow smile began to spread across her face and she leaned forward, hugging him fully, resting her chin on his shoulder. Her heart was beating wildly now. She felt like she was floating.

"Like I said... best year ever." The grin was evident in her voice.

---

"So far, so good." He hugged her back, glad to have put it out there. Then he started to tilt. "Oh... Uh..." Then he fell, half on top of her. He tried to shift off, but then realized that he liked being where he was and decided to stay.

"You know, the last time we were like this," The position they were in, "We kissed on a beanbag chair. But it was your fault that time." He then realized that he was bigger now than he was then, and slightly more on top of her. "Am I crushing you?"

[Snick]

She laughed as he fell over on top of her, clutching the sleeves of his shirt so she rolled with him. "Oof." This wasn't new, but it was still nice. "Hey, I thought I'd just make you fall over with me - not actually on top of me," she said, giggling. "I didn't know my own strength."

She shook her head in response to his question. "No, you're fine." She took a deep breath just to prove her point and grinned. She opened her mouth to make a crude joke - after all, they were in her bed this time, and not on a beanbag chair in the common room - but she refrained. Instead, she chose to just grin at him mischievously.

---

"You sure you're alright?" She was small, and he was, well, not. He could have rolled off easily, they weren't stuck this time. She seemed to be very happy, though, so he stayed put (Wash would also like to point out that they were on her bed, not in it).

"And do you realize that if I tickle you, you won't really be able to squirm?" And tickle her he did. Lightly and playfully, laughing as he went.

---

"Yeah, I'm fine! Really." Actually, she quite liked it. But she wasn't going to tell him that. She smiled, her hands still holding onto his shirt sleeves.

Of course, she regretted telling him she was fine as soon as the tickling started. She squealed with laughter, trying to twist away from his hands on her. But she was pinned, and couldn't go anywhere. She laughed until her sides and stomach hurt, and she tried to grab at his hands, but he was too quick for her. "Wash!" she gasped in between giggles.

---

He rolled off of her when she started to sound like she couldn't breathe, lying with his shoulder up against hers. He took a few seconds, staring up at the ceiling of her dorm. It was a perfectly normal ceiling, nothing spectacular about it. It was just an excuse to relax.

"Have I told you that you're adorable while being tickled?" She was. She was adorable all the time, really. There was just something about her giggle that made him smile.

---

She pouted a bit at the loss of contact when he rolled over. "Probably," she teased, nudging his shoulder with her own. She took a few slow deep breaths as she too stared up at the ceiling, trying to calm down from the sudden tickle-fest. Her hand found his, and she squeezed it gently.

She sighed, closing her eyes. "I wish this night would never end."

---

He squeezed back and kissed her cheek. "You are, you know. All the little giggles and stuff. It's cute." He didn't think he had anything like that, but he also had no idea how she looked at him (the correct answer is "up"). "And don't give me that pout, you weren't breathing." He reached over with the hand she wasn't holding to poke her belly.

"Well, you know, it's Saturday. I don't have anything going on." He wouldn't mind spending a day with her, Providence didn't seem as boring as his college town.

---

She opened her mouth to retort, but instead got poked in the belly unexpectedly. She made a noise that was half giggle, half gasp, and she rolled over on her side to face him. "You sure are somethin' else," she said with a smile, sticking her tongue out at him.

Her face lit up hopefully. "So you'll stay? I mean, you can have my bed - I got really good at making pillow forts while I traveled, so it wouldn't be a big deal," she said in a rush, moving to grab her wand.

---

She was towering over him, perhaps for the first time ever. "I think you've known that since we met." He pulled a reversal of her actions from earlier, trying to pull her down onto him. "And you like me despite it all. It's a miracle, you know."

"I suppose I could be convinced to spend the night. I think it depends on whether or not you have food, among other things." Because this had been a last moment decision, and the man had not eaten since lunch in Boston. "No, it's your room, your bed. All I really need is a pillow and a blanket." Because Wash knew awesome magic.

---

"Hmm," she said, smiling as she allowed herself to be pulled down on top of him. "That's where you're wrong - I love you, despite it all." She grinned and kissed him on the forehead.

"I'm not sure what all we have here, to be honest." One of the downsides to living in the hill house dorms was the single kitchen meant to serve upwards of 50 people. She thought for a moment. "Or... there is this really neat little diner just a few blocks away." She grinned.

---

He didn't want to say anything, it was a comment that needed no verbal reply. He just smiled and kissed her cheek. Then he tried to say it again. "I love you." There, that was much better than his previous attempt.

As much as he loved diner food, "What the hell kind of place is open at a time and date like this?" His stomach rumbled quietly, "We could give it a shot. What's the worst that can happen?"

[Snick]

She hadn't expected him to respond. The three simple words that he spoke thrilled her more than she could have imagined, and she smiled as she shifted her weight on him. "I love you, too," she repeated.

"Um, only the best late night food in town! They're open until 4 or 5 most nights, and the place is practically a piece of American history. You'll love it!" Jen said, beaming down at him. She didn't want to get up, but her stomach growled traitorously. Rolling her eyes, she rolled off of him and jumped up off the bed, grabbing her shoes, coat, and wand. "It's called Haven Brothers." She held out her hand to him, fingers wiggling. "Well?" she asked with a smile.

---

"Well then," He heard her stomach as loudly as he had heard his own. "Let us go and make haste. I'm starving." He rocked forward and stood up, slipping his shoes back on (although he didn't remember taking them off). He took her hand and spun her toward him.

"Haven Brothers... Yeah, never heard of it. As long as the food is good." He could go for just anything at this point. He held onto her for one more moment. "Alright, let's go."

---

She giggled as he spun her into him. "I promise, it's awesome." She held onto him tightly with one hand, twisting her wand in her other hand as they Disapparated.

As convenient as Apparition was, she hated it. She felt like she was being compressed into a tiny, Jen-like ball, and it always made her nauseous, almost like she'd been reading in a moving car for too long. The first time she'd actually done it successfully, she'd been sick. Added to the fact that she hadn't eaten since lunch, she was looking a bit green when they reappeared just around the corner from the diner (just in case there were Muggles about, of course). She dropped his hand, stepping back to place her hands on her knees and take a breath. After the great night they'd been having (so far), she definitely didn't want to ruin it now.

After a beat, she straightened up, hastily stuffing her wand into the pocket inside her coat. She smiled up at Wash, taking his hand again, and tugged him around the corner. She grinned as she saw the diner. "Did I mention it was on wheels?"

---

Although Wash had no problem with apparation on his own, he had never been comfortable being led, powerless, by someone else. He hadn't liked it with his parents as a kid, and he still didn't like it now. Then again, he had no idea where this place was.

He barely had time to take a breath before she started tugging on him, and they rounded the corner for him to see... a truck. With doors in the side. And a good smell emanating from within. "You told me nothing about this place. You said the food is good and it's open late." He took another look. He knew what food trucks were, but he wasn't sure he'd ever seen something like this.

---

"Best place to get a burger if you're out late, drunk, or a combination of the two." She laughed. Although Jen wasn't big on drinking herself, there had been many nights where she'd found herself here, having been dragged along by the girls after a night out. "Lucky for us, they don't know the meaning of the word holiday."

She climbed the stairs into the cramped little place and claimed the first free booth as their own. She slid in, taking off her coat and drumming her fingers on the table with a smile.

---

Wash had only been drunk twice since junior year, and he wasn't a big fan of waking up the next day. "I can't imagine apparating here would be a good idea while drunk." He chuckled. "Late at night... well, I have places to eat." Not to mention the small fridge by his bed. "Those are my favorite people, you know, the ones who don't take off for holidays."

He took the bench across from her, and covered her hand with his own (not just for romantic reasons; the tapping was getting to him). "I'll have to trust you to feed me." Which was alright, because he really did trust her.

---

"Okay!" she said brightly, not even bothering to pick up the menu. She knew it practically by heart now, and proceeded to rattle off a complicated-sounding order to the disgruntled looking waitress as she passed by. As the waitress turned to leave, Jen turned her attention back to Wash. "I still can't believe you came to see me." She grinned.

"So tell me about Dartmouth," she said, reaching across the table to take his other hand, smiling. "I want to come visit, so you'll have to tell me about all the cool things to do."

---

He had no idea what she said to the waitress. He understood a word here and there, but it was like a foreign tongue. "How could I not? I'm just glad you weren't busy. I would've looked like a fool knocking on your door."

He gave her his hand. "I'll presume you don't mean the work?" He thought about it. "It's a beautiful campus. Plenty of green, lots of trees. And the buildings are nice to look at. It's really nice, the whole place." He kind of wished that he could be there now, but he was in Providence with Jen, which was maybe even better. "President Eisenhower said that Dartmouth is how a school should look."

---

"It sounds beautiful," she said with a smile. As much as she liked Providence, it just wasn't as green as it was back home. She'd found herself longing more than once to go sit in the middle of Boston's Public Garden and just watch the leaves fall. However, she knew that probably wasn't the wisest idea - she'd get there and never go back to school. Just thinking about it made her homesick.

The waitress came back around and dropped off two giant burgers, an impossibly large plate of cheese fries, and two vanilla milkshakes. She made a noncommittal grunt and walked away, and Jen grinned as she grabbed a fry off the plate. "So, a little history for you - this used to be a horse drawn lunch cart back in the 1800s. It's been coming to this same spot ever since it opened. Every day. Pretty cool, huh?"

---

"It is." He loved Dartmouth almost as much as he loved Boston. "And if I remember correctly, most of the population of the town is the college. It's a small place, with nice people." He squeezed her hand. "You don't really have a lot of green around here." Whereas by him, even the sports teams were green.

He grabbed a few fries almost as soon as she put down the plate, and chewed while she gave him the history. "That's pretty cool." Well, "As long as there's no stock left from back then."

[Snick]

She smiled, a bit sadly. The more he talked about Dartmouth, the more she wanted to get out of Providence. "Yeah, most people are nice here, but it's hard to get inspired to paint when your view is nothing but a gray city skyline." She shrugged, but tried to put on a happy face. "I can't wait to visit."

"No, definitely not," she chuckled. "There are enough actual hippies in this neighborhood that would pitch a fit if their greasy diner food wasn't made with the freshest of ingredients."

---

He picked up another fry. "Yeah, I can't imagine this place is particularly inspiring. "And you're in Rhode Island of all places." Because really, what good came from the state that wasn't even an actual island? The whole thing made no sense to him. Instead of thinking about it, he ate the fry. "I can't wait, either." At least he had gotten to see her.

"I would think there are plenty of them at an art school." And this was definitely not hippie food, as far as he knew. He had never been a fan of real hippies, although he had had no problem with the legacy house. "Only the freshest oily meat for them, of course."

---

She nodded, her mouth too full to properly respond. Just two more years and she'd leave Providence behind. Maybe less if she took a summer class or two, but she didn't want to give up her summer just yet. She could do two more years. It wasn't as if she was trapped here, either - Boston was just over an hour away by car, and if she had to, she could Apparate.

"It's an even mix of hippies and Ivy League kids," she said, reaching out to stir her rapidly melting milkshake with the straw. "My place is practically on Brown's campus, not RISD. That means we're usually the first target for pranks during Brown's rush week. Although no pranks they could pull will ever top the Stooges." She laughed.

---

He noticed her milkshake was melting and, assuming that his was in the same condition, picked it up and took a long sip. She was right, this place was great. Good enough that he didn't want to stop drinking to tell her. He let out a sigh of satisfaction without dropping the straw, then proceeded to finish it off.

"I can't imagine anyone topping the Stooges, and certainly not," He didn't know if anyone was listening, and didn't want another scare like the one he'd had in Boston the other day, "Their pranksters."

---

She grinned and took a drink of her own milkshake, or what could technically still be considered a milkshake. It was more ice cream soup than anything else. "You'll get a brain freeze," she laughed as she watched him drink. She was already starting to feel one of her own coming on.

Sighing, she pushed her plate slightly away from her. "I miss the old Stooge pranks. You never knew what you were going to get with them, which made it fun. With the frat boys around here, it's either toilet paper in the trees or egg on the front of the dorm. There's no variety!" she said, giggling. "I mean... if I'm going to get pranked, I want to be completely surprised."

---

He could feel it as soon as he finished it. "Yeah, good call." Nothing you can do about it, though. He waited a second, then looked down at his plate and realized that he had not yet touched his burger, as a result of being more interested in Jen. "You're right about that. I guess they're slightly more creative by me, but not by much."

He looked down longingly. "Alright, tell me everything about this place. I'm going to eat this thing." Without waiting for a response, he picked it up and just dug in, a smile appearing on his face.

---

"What, you wanna know about Providence in general?" She smirked, raising an eyebrow. "We'll be here all night." Crossing her arms over her chest, she leaned back against the booth, tapping her foot underneath the table. "Or... oh. You probably mean school." She laughed, shaking her head. "Well, RISD's nice. It's not a huge campus by any means, but it's okay. I imagine Dartmouth's smaller, yeah?" She paused, taking another sip of her milkshake. "We have an art museum on campus. We get some actually famous art to come through every so often, but it's mostly student artwork. We have our midterm and final exam pieces up right now, actually - I had the rest of my stuff sent home."

Her brow furrowed. "There's... not really much to Providence unless you're a foodie or a film buff. We have a zoo?" she finished lamely. She really missed Boston right now.

---

He made "I'm listening" sounds as she spoke, which got him about a third of the way through. When she finished, he looked up. "Anything good at the zoo?" And, "Have you ever been to the zoo in San Diego?"

Those would hopefully get him through a bunch more meat. "This is really good." He could see how they had stayed in business for so long. Then he went back to his meal.

---

"They have regular zoo animals, I guess." She grinned. "I like the snow leopards. And the red pandas. They're cute." She shook her head at his next question, her long hair fanning out over her shoulders. "I didn't make it to San Diego - I went from Vegas to Los Angeles and pretty much skipped that part of southern California. I'd love to go, though - have you been?"

"I wouldn't take you anywhere I thought wasn't the best," she said, laughing.

---

He kept eating. He was almost done, and it seemed rude to keep her waiting, but pointless to stop now. He made another stupid sound to indicate his attention.

When he finished, he wiped his hands. "Once, when I was little. I think it's the biggest zoo in the world or something." He had no concrete idea, and he didn't yet have a device on which he could look these things up.

"Nothing like a good burger at whatever ungodly hour it is." He didn't feel like checking.

[Snick]

"That's awesome. Sounds like a good place to go on summer vacation," she said with a wink. She then reached over, taking the arm that his watch was on and turning it up so she could see it. Her eyebrows raised. "It's almost one-thirty, but... I'm not tired." She looked back up at him with a smile. "Too much excitement for one night, I guess."

---

It was one thirty already? "If we're done, we could go back." They had been doing fine on her bed, without actually doing anything. "I would love to see some of your recent work." He was curious as to how her style had changed from what he had seen long ago.

---

"Sure!" She smiled, reaching into her coat pocket to pull out a few rumpled dollar bills. At some point, the waitress had left their tab on the table, but Jen hadn't really been paying attention. "Would you mind terribly if we walked back to my place? It's not far from here - ten minutes, tops." She shot him an apologetic smile. After eating so much, she was sure she'd get sick if they tried Apparating back.

---

"I have no problem with walking." As long as they did so somewhat quickly. Wash hadn't expected to be in Providence this long, or outside at all, and was wearing no warm garments save his sweater. A thick sweater, but still a sweater. He rose with purpose, and offered her his arm. "You'll have to lead the way, I'm afraid."

---

She smiled up at him as she pulled her coat on, and then linked his arm with hers. "Okay!" Giggling, she led them out of the diner and out into the street.

It was cold, even with her coat on, and she had no idea how he wasn't freezing without one. She moved closer to him as she led him along the streets of Providence, hoping that what limited body heat she produced would transfer to him.

"When we get back, I can show you some of my recent sketches, if you want." She wished she hadn't sent the majority of her paintings back home. "I wish it wasn't so cold out, the city's actually really nice at night," she said as they came upon the bridge to cross the river.

---

He was freezing, actually. But he was taller than her, and he didn't want to drag her, so he was not going full speed. She was right. The city didn't look too bad. He didn't really know what it looked like during the day, but it was nice right then.

He was grateful for her closeness. Not because she was giving him enough heat to make a difference, but because he liked being so close to her. "That sounds lovely. What have you been working on?" He tried to speed up a bit without making her run.

---

She felt herself being tugged along and so she picked up her pace a bit. She didn't mind walking quickly if that meant getting out of the cold faster.

"Oh, nothing special, really. The last assignment I had for classes was a self-portrait, so there's a lot of myself in one of the sketchbooks." She laughed, pulling herself closer to him. "So if you flip through, it looks like I'm totally vain, but I swear I'm not."

They were back at her dorm quicker than she'd thought, and she let them inside quickly. When she first moved in, she'd cast a quick warming charm on the room in lieu of getting a space heater - much easier, in her opinion. She shrugged off her coat and tossed it over her dresser, turning back to face him with a smile.

---

"I've never seen you as particularly vain." She was, after all, a Hippie, and he figured that old habits wouldn't die quickly, even as far removed from Salem as they were. "I can't wait to see." He stepped in after her, grateful for the blast of hot air.

He smiled back at her. It was a combination of many factors. The warmth, the food, the girl, it was a lovely night. "You know, I could kiss you right now."

---

"Self-portraits make you not want to look at your own reflection for a long time after they're finished." Which was one reason there was no mirror in her room.

She closed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around his middle. "So why don't you, then?" she asked teasingly, tilting her head up to look him in the eye.

---

"I'm not a big fan of mirrors, myself." He had one by the bathroom, sure, but it was small, and used for making himself look presentable, not gazing at his own mug.

He wrapped his arms around her. "That's a good question." Then he leaned and kissed her calmly, pulling her toward him and keeping her close.

[Snick]

Jen made a small noise of contentment as she returned the kiss, linking her fingers together behind his back. She could definitely get used to this, having him around. Of course, he'd be leaving tomorrow, but she pushed that thought out of her mind. She just wanted to focus on what was happening right now.

She stood up on her tiptoes to better reach him, breaking the kiss only when she felt like she might tip over. She didn't let go of him, though, but gave him a shy smile. "You're amazing, did you know that?"

---

He was enjoying himself, getting as much fun out of it as it seemed he was given. He tried to support her when she stood up higher, but it seemed that she wasn't so confident in him, because she retreated shortly thereafter.

He rubbed her upper back softly for a moment. "Nope, didn't have a clue." He had what he believed was a marvelous idea. "You know, you could transfer."

---

She blinked, giving him a puzzled look. "What, like... to Dartmouth?" She stared at him for a moment, thinking it over, before a small smile appeared on her face. "Really? Do you think they'd take me? I mean, my test scores were high enough, back at Salem, but..." her smile faltered. "I dont think they'd be too pleased with my recent grades."

Sighing, she leaned into him fully, resting her head on his chest. "It's a fantastic idea, and honestly, I think I'd like it better than RISD. And not just because I'd be there with you," she said with a laugh. "I just don't want to get my hopes up."

---

"That was the general idea, yes." He smiled back. "It wouldn't hurt to try, would it?" She made a good point about her college grades. "In an interview, you would chalk it up to the lack of inspiration here, and mention how beautiful our campus is. An explanation and a slick compliment."

"There's only one way to find out, you know." He would readily admit that he had two very different reasons for his suggestion. She would enjoy it more, and, "Imagine, it would be like Salem."

---

"You know, you're totally right," she said, looking up at him. "It won't hurt to try. Tell you what - I'll give the admissions office a call after I get out of class on Monday." She grinned. "I guess I need to come visit soon, then - you know, so I can accurately describe how the campus inspires me." Once again, she stood up on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek.

She was getting more excited about the prospect the longer she thought about it. It would be eerily similar to their time at Salem. "I'd get to see you all the time," she said softly.

---

"That's what you need to do. Just make the leap." He turned his head to accept her kiss, then bent down to return the favor. She wanted to visit. That was exactly what he wanted to hear. He wanted her to visit, too, so it would all work out. There were so many things to show her.

He rolled his eyes and grinned at her. "Yeah, that was the point." Which is not to say that he didn't want her to do well, he just saw them being close again as much more important. Wash squeezed her tight and kissed the top of her head.

---

She stuck her tongue out at him, laughing. Being together more often was definitely something to look forward to, especially if it was going to be similar to this particular evening. She unwound her arms from around him and grabbed the arm that his watch was on to look at the time. "It's two," she announced, dropping his arm with a smile. She kicked off her shoes and left him standing there, making her way over to her dresser.

She opened the drawer rather ungracefully, pulling out a small stack of clothing. "Turn around." Jen grinned, turning so that she was facing him. "I'm going to get changed."

---

He laughed as she picked up his arm again. "I'm getting you a watch." No question about it. Then she wouldn't have to keep messing with his arm. "How do you know what time it is when I'm not around?"

She was going to change? He turned a lovely shade of red. "Um..." Seeing his escape, he made for the door. "I'll wait outside." He stepped out quietly and closed it behind him, allowing her to change without embarrassing him.

---

"I have my ways," she joked, crossing her arms over her chest. "I unplugged my alarm clock after my last exam and just haven't bothered to plug it back in. I felt I deserved a few days to sleep in."

She rolled her eyes as he shut the door behind him, but smiled. They were both adults, and besides, it wasn't as if she had invited him to take a peek. She had told him to turn around. She changed quickly, grateful that all her sleepwear was fairly modest - if her shorts were any shorter, she assumed he'd have a heart attack. Giggling at the thought, she crossed the room and opened the door. "I'm decent," she said teasingly. "You can come back in now."

---

He knew everything she had just thought just as well as she did. It wasn't like they were kids, and she wasn't stripping for him or anything, but he still didn't like it. Not that he would've minded, he just didn't think it was right.

He had been leaning on the door, and nearly fell when she opened it. Regaining his footing, he looked at her. "You certainly are." He gave her an exaggerated wink. "After you." He followed her back inside.

[Snick]

She blushed, leaning back against the door as it closed, watching him cross the room. "Sorry about that," she said sheepishly, placing her arms behind her back. "Didn't really feel like sleeping in my dress." She bit her lip, afraid that she'd made things too awkward.

After a beat, she glanced over to her desk. Didn't he say he'd wanted to see what she was working on? Moving slowly, she went and picked up the sketchbook on the very top of the pile, hugging it to her chest as she sat down, cross-legged, on her bed. "Here," she said, holding it out to him. "I filled this one up a few weeks ago."

---

"Nor would I expect you to." He had slept in a suit plenty of times, but rarely intentionally, and it never turned out particularly well for the suit. "It's fine." Which reminded him that he would have to figure out something to do for sleeping. He hadn't planned on staying, and was therefore going to be very uncomfortable.

He sat down beside her after taking the book, placing it on his lap and flipping it open. It was a self-portrait, just as she had said. "You know, nice as this it, it doesn't capture you." He put an arm around her and pulled her in. "I don't know, you're more than a pretty face."

---

Jen had been wondering what Wash was going to do as far as sleeping arrangements went. She did kind of spring it on him, and she felt like she needed to come up with a solution. She had offered to trade him her bed, but he'd refused. "You could always Transfigure your clothes," she mused. "You know, for sleeping in. And I have plenty of extra blankets."

She scooted closer and leaned in, resting her shoulder against his. "Yeah, I'm not very good at self-portraits. Other people, however, I am excellent at." Looking up at him then, she grinned. "Why haven't I ever painted you? You're too good-looking to not capture on paper." She giggled.

---

He looked down at his current clothes. "Yeah, I suppose I could." He would wait until they were ready to go to bed to actually do that. His sleeping clothes were for comfort, not looking good. "Blankets sound nice, though." He liked blankets. Most people do.

"Don't get me wrong, they're good." To his untrained eye, at least. "I just don't think that you, Jennifer Moon, can be represented by pencil on paper. You know?" He rested his head on hers. "That's an excellent question." He had never really thought about it. "Thanks, though."

---

"Just let me know when you start to get tired, and I'll grab them." She was glad he was staying. How she had gone for so long without seeing him was a mystery - calling was nice, of course, but she'd missed him more than she thought she did. She had a feeling that when he left tomorrow it was going to crush her.

She smiled, shifting closer to him. "Thanks, that actually makes me feel a lot better about them. I haven't shown anyone else this book, not even my drawing professor. They just didn't feel right." She pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. "I'm totally drawing you next," she mumbled into his shoulder.

---

"Sounds good to me." He was still having trouble believing that his girlfriend was sitting there next to him. Or perhaps he was sitting there next to her. This was, after all, her room at her school. He wasn't looking forward to leaving.

He liked when she pressed up against him like this. "You should. They look nice." He kissed her back. "You really want to?" He didn't know why she would. He didn't see himself as particularly art-worthy, but he wasn't the biggest fan of art (funny how things work out).

---

"Mmhmm," she mumbled, her face buried in his sweater. She didn't see why not - after all, she'd painted or drawn everyone else in her life at some point or another. And seeing how Wash was a big part of her life... she couldn't find a reason not to.

She relaxed against him then, closing her eyes. She was beginning to get tired, but she didn't want to go to bed - bed meant sleep, and sleep meant him leaving the next day. Her hand reached over to take the one that wasn't currently wrapped around her, pushing the sketchbook off his lap as she did so.

---

"I think I'd like that, then." His image and her art together was a nice thought. "It would be awesome, actually." He still didn't think he was worthy of being painted, especially by a future professional artist (he didn't count the people in the park), but if she wanted to, who was he to say no?

He stifled a big yawn, lest she think he was tired of her company. Surprised by her blatant disregard for her work, he nevertheless gave her his hand. He was essentially wrapped around her at this point, not that he minded. "I'm glad I came tonight."

---

She loved the way they were wrapped up together. He was warm and his sweater was soft, and she wanted to fall asleep just like this. Unfortunately, they were still sitting upright, and Jen knew that they'd eventually have to untangle themselves.

"Me too," she whispered, tilting her head upward. Her eyes were still closed, but her lips found his all the same.

---

He probably could've fallen asleep in this position, despite the pain he knew would plague his back in the morning, being all curved like this. He tilted his head to meet her lips, and she was like the Energizer Bunny. His eyes closed, and he just enjoyed the moment.

He smiled into her kiss, then moved his free hand to tickle her. He had been with her for four years, he still got a kick out of her giggling.

[Snick]

Jen gave herself into the kiss, reaching up with her free hand to place it gently on his cheek. She was in the process of twisting around to face him properly when she felt his fingers at her side, and she jumped, letting out a startled breath before giggling uncontrollably.

"Wash," she giggled, trying to sound upset. It wasn't working. She tried to move backwards, to get away from his tickling, but she couldn't move - his other arm was still wrapped around her. In a fit of giggles, she put both hands on his chest and pushed him gently backwards. The arm that was still around her ensured that she went right along with him, and she was still giggling as she kissed him again.

---

She was stronger than she looked, and it surprised him every time. He fell backward, taking her with him. He held onto her lips as long as he could, then pulled back for air, smiling up at her. "Works every time, doesn't it?"

He smiled, tiredness beginning to show in his face. "You know, at this rate we'll be up to greet the sun."

---

She rolled her eyes, smiling down at him. "You're insufferable," she said, shaking her head before giggling again.

She yawned then, reaching up to cover her mouth with her hand. "You, maybe. I don't think I can keep my eyes open much longer." She relaxed, stretching her legs out and letting her head fall gently on his shoulder. "Although... it would be nice to see the sun rise."

---

"I do what I can." He laughed with her. He yawned, too, a big wide thing for which he turned his head because his movements were inhibited.

"Well, I would get ready for bed, but I'm a bit preoccupied." He smiled broadly. "I can't show off my transfiguración skills if I can't get to my wand, you know." He squirmed a little under her.

---

"Too comfortable to move," she said, her voice muffled by her face pressed into his sweater. Her eyes opened and closed slowly as she struggled to stay awake. "Stay preoccupied," she joked, poking him gently in the side.

She pouted, then rolled over slightly so that she wasn't directly on top of him. "Show me your transfiguration skills, o great wizard," she mumbled, a small smile crossing her face.

---

"I would love to, but you look tired." And as much as he wanted to, he didn't want to sleep in her bed. When she rolled off, he patted his pocket to make sure it was there (deep pockets you know how it is) and pulled out his wand.

"Watch and be amazed." He waved it from a comical location above his head, then squirmed as his clothes did weird things. When it stopped, he was wearing black cotton pajama pants, and a big soft Sox sweatshirt.

---

She wasn't going to pretend she wasn't a bit disappointed, but just knowing he'd be there when she woke up was fantastic. Her eyes closed as he pulled out his wand and she began to drift off, not even bothering to crawl under the sheets.

One eye cracked open as he spoke and she smiled sleepily. "I'd clap for you, but I don't think I have enough energy," she said as she reached a hand out toward him.

---

He took her hand and squeezed, moving closer. They were close as could be without actually touching. "Oh, no need. I already know I'm amazing." He smiled and Dee m squeezed her hand again.

"You know, this sweatshirt is probably softer than the other one." She had been glued to his shoulder for so long, she might as well be able to compare and contrast.

---

She laughed softly, squeezing his hand back. "You totally are." He was, really. What with coming all the way down to visit her and suggesting she transfer and telling her he loved her, he was definitely in the running for the best boyfriend of the millennium award.

The one eyebrow that wasn't buried in her pillow raised, and she smiled, letting go of his hand to reach up and grab the sleeve of his newly-transfigured sweater. He was right, it was much softer. She ran her hand up the sleeve and back down again, taking his hand once more. "I may have to steal this from you."

---

He squeezed back. He didn't really know how to respond to something like that, so he kept his mouth shut.

He hadn't expected her to grab his arm, although perhaps he should've, given the whole watch thing. "You know that if you steal this, I have no shirt, right?" And what's more, he loved his sweatshirt. This wasn't the real deal, but he would hate to part with it.

[Snick]

She waved her free hand lazily in an attempt to dismiss his concern. "Details, details," she said with a laugh. "I won't steal it from you... today, anyway." No matter how much she wanted to curl up inside that warm, soft sweater (or to see him shirtless). She winked as best she could, what with one of her eyes covered up by the pillow.

Her eyelids were getting heavier and she struggled to keep them open. She had a feeling that she wasn't going to be able to fight sleep much longer, and she ran her thumb over the back of his hand. "Love you," she whispered, just as her eyes began closing again.

---

He laughed. "Not today, nor any other. This is my favorite," What does one call the thing in which they sleep, "Thingamajig. You know what I mean."

She was essentially asleep. He released her hand and moved to the edge of the bed. "Love you, too."

---

Jen hadn't realized she'd fallen asleep until the morning sun came streaming in through the blinds, hitting her in the face. She frowned, wrinkling her nose and keeping her eyes squeezed shut. It was too early for normal brain function. She groaned loudly, rolling over, hoping to fall back asleep, when her hands and feet came in contact with a warm, solid body. She opened her eyes slightly, remembering that Wash had stayed the night - she hadn't expected him to sleep in her bed, though.

She smiled, burying herself deeper in the blankets until all that was visible was her wild, curly hair. "Five more minutes," she mumbled, shutting her eyes again.

---

Wash had been asleep (and enjoying it immensely) until he was sort of slapped and kicked and pushed. He rolled over to face his girlfriend, eyes slowly opening. "Five minutes? We have all the time in the world."

She did, anyway. He had trouble just lying there after waking up. Groaning a bit, he put his feet on the floor and stood up. The floor was cooler than he had expected.

He rubbed his eyes like a five year old while he yawned. "Good morning."

---

She poked her head out from under the blankets when she felt him move off the bed. "Good morning to you, too. Sleep okay?" She smiled. He was adorable this early in the morning. "Sorry if I woke you."

Although he had gotten up, she wasn't too keen on the idea. She liked to lay around as long as possible, but time was ticking today, and the longer she stayed in bed meant less time for her to spend with him before he left. Untangling herself from the sheets, she rolled out of bed and barely touched her feet to the cold floor. It was freezing. "Nope nope nope," she muttered, bringing her feet back up onto the bed. "It's a sign, we should go back to sleep."

---

"I slept fine. You?" He stretched, still half-asleep. "You did, but it's fine. I wasn't tired anyway."

He didn't think it was cold enough to retreat so quickly, but he wasn't going to say no to sitting with her a while longer. "Fine then." He jumped back onto her bed, bouncing once. "You win."

---

"I slept great," she said, laughing as he bounced down onto the bed. She leaned over and kissed him quickly on the cheek before flopping back onto the pillow.

"Want to check out the zoo later?" She grinned up at him.

---

He plopped down next to her and kissed her cheek in return. "You certainly seem more awake." That tends to happen, though, when you sleep. It was a funny fact of life. That, and eating makes you less hungry. It wasn't always true with drinking, though.

"We could do that. Or..." Pause for dramatic effect. "We could just stay here in bed all day."

---

She giggled and rolled toward him, yawning comically as she did so. "Oh, I dunno. I could probably fall back asleep if I really put my mind to it." Her chin came to rest in her hand as she propped herself up on her elbow above him.

Her eyebrows raised, and a slow grin began to creep up on her face. "I think that's a great idea."

---

"That's always true. I usually find the newspaper-over-the-face to be the most effective method, followed closely by the ballcap-pulled-down-low." He was looking up at her a lot the past few hours.

"Yeah, I thought so, too." He smiled back. He wasn't sure he wouldn't trade this visit for having seen her more over the past while, but it was still pretty great. He reached up, and pulled her down to him, kissing her softly.

[Snick]

Now this was a nice way to wake up. She let herself fall gently on top of him and she smiled into the kiss, placing her hand gently on his cheek. Her brain was still a little fuzzy from not being fully awake, and the kiss was making her more lightheaded (but only in a good way). She made a soft, happy noise in the back of her throat as she returned the kiss.

She pulled away after a moment for air. It occurred to her that it would be nice to wake up next to him more often, and she smiled. Maybe someday. At least if she transferred to Dartmouth she'd get to see him almost every day.

---

He smiled when she retreated. "You know, this is what every morning should be." Wouldn't that be nice? He didn't know if she thought so, but it had crossed his mind once or twice.

He rested his hands on her lower back. She was holding him down, and he liked it.

---

Jen blinked at him, not quite sure if she'd heard correctly. It took her a moment to respond. "Yeah, actually. I'd like that a lot." Her grin was hard to contain.

As his hands came to rest on her lower back, she melted into him. It had been too long since the last time he'd held her like this, and she loved it. She bent her head to kiss him again, this time with much more fervor.

---

"One day." He knew his preferred end game. He didn't know hers, but he certainly knew his, and it involved waking up next to her a lot.

He kissed her back. It had been too long since they'd done much of anything. He tried to block out the everpresent knowledge that he would have to leave soon as he left her lips behind. "I think you're a little bit better than Folgers, personally." He winked in a fairly exaggerated manner.

---

She smiled, a faint blush crossing her cheeks. "One day," she agreed. She'd be lying if she said she hadn't thought about an eventual future with him, but she tried to live in the moment rather than get carried away with daydreams.

"Oh, really?" she laughed as he pulled away. "I guess I am the best part of waking up." She giggled, poking him in the side. "Although I think I'd be a little more energizing if someone didn't keep me up late last night." She grinned teasingly.

---

"Yes really." He poked her back. Because this was probably the best morning he'd ever had. "Oh, don't act like you didn't love it." He certainly had.

The sun hit him square in the face, and he shut his eyes hard. "You know, there are these things called shades that stop this from happening."

---

"Hey, I never said I didn't love it," she laughed, leaning down to kiss his forehead. "Best night ever, actually. We should do it again sometime."

She reached over to the window as best she could with his arms still wrapped around her, reaching for the cord to the blinds. "If I had shades, I'd never wake up," she explained, shutting the blinds. The room got darker, and she grinned, retaking her position above him. "Better?"

---

"We certainly should." He kept his eyes clenched until he felt the light go away, then opened them slowly. "Hi." He smiled up at her.

"There are worse things, you know. And we have those clocks that make loud noises to wake us up." He kissed her lightly on the cheek.

---

"Hi yourself," she giggled. "I told you I unplugged my alarm clock, remember? Besides, it's not usually this easy to wake me up." Her hand came up to brush her hair out of her face. It was especially wild this morning.

She frowned slightly. "When do you have to go?" It was the last question she wanted to ask. If she had her way, he'd stay. She considered briefly withdrawing from her class and just going with him, but she needed to stay, if only to start making preparations to transfer schools.

---

"Maybe you should plug it back in?" He was confused. "And anyway, you weren't awake until I got up. Just flailing." He stuck his tongue out at her.

"That's an excellent question. Noon-ish? I have people to see and places to be this afternoon." His morning, on the other hand, was all hers. "You could always come with me, though."

[Snick]

She rolled her eyes. "It'll be working again for class on Monday, unfortunately. No matter how much I want to toss it out the window most days. And I do not flail." Her hand came up between them, as if she took offense to the suggestion. She waited a beat before giggling.

Noon-ish was almost soon-ish. Her smile dropped at the thought of him leaving, but perked right back up again at his suggestion. "Are you sure? I wouldn't be in the way, or anything?"

---

"Oh, you kicked me intentionally? I'll have to remember that, I guess." He laughed with her.

"I'm visiting old friends." Pre-Salem friends, in fact. "And maybe I'll go out tonight." Nothing extravagant. "There's sports to watch, you know."

---

"Oh," she said, raising an eyebrow. "That sounds like fun." Her plans for after he left included, but were not limited to: being sad about it, reading a book, and then calling the girls to apologize for her disappearing act the night before. So all in all, his plans sounded a lot better.

"Are you sure you'd be okay with me tagging along?"

---

The raised eyebrow made him think that he had somehow offended her. Was it the going out? The seeing friends? He had offered to bring her along right.

"Could I miss a chance to be seen with a lovely lady such as yourself?" He raised his head and kissed her cheek.

---

"Okay," she said with a smile as he kissed her cheek. She hadn't been offended - she just didn't want to seem clingy. Even though they hadn't seen each other for awhile, she didn't want him to feel obligated to bring her along.

"So, sports to watch, hmm?" She grinned, reaching up to run her hand through his hair. "If I had to guess - hockey?"

---

"No, luge." He did his best to keep a straight face, but it wasn't easy. "Yes ma'am. The Devils are in town. Should be fun, right?" It was always fun. "I don't know if I want to go to the game, though. I might just watch on tv." Decisions, decisions.

"I'd love to have you with me." It was a general feeling, but especially true now, as he desperately tried to extend their time together.

---

She laughed. "I've still never actually seen a hockey game in person, you know." Every time she had attempted it, she'd had class the next day or was traveling. She had, however, been fortunate enough to catch games on television once in awhile.

"I can't say no to you," she grinned, leaning down to kiss him. "I'll go."

---

"Then you can go vicar-" She was going to come. "We'll go, then." He sighed slightly with relief. He had been worried that she would say no in favor of preparing for her class. He might have been tempted to do so, if the situation were reversed. So her coming made him very happy.

"You're the best." He leaned up into her kiss for just the briefest of moments, then fell back to the bed.

---

"It's why you love me." Her teasing grin was hard to contain. She knew she should probably stay, but... what was a few more hours spent with Wash when she had the entire day tomorrow to prepare for class?

She sighed happily. This was, so far, the best year ever.

---

"I love you for so many reasons." He tucked another stray lock of hair behind her ear, and kissed her cheek again. "This being one of them, of course."

He smiled. "As much as we should go home and do the various things I need to do, I kind of like," he made a gesture indicating their current addition, "This."