there was a lot of UNCERTAINTY to be felt in the moment. since coming to new york, since finding each other at the bar — jeff knew that there were unsaid things and undecided terms that NEEDED to be brought up at some point, but did some point have to be right now ? things were changing for them, sure, but jeff felt just as happy to watch annie’s challenging display. it felt good to bask in the familiarity of it all. he still held a warm small on his face, even when he allowed his hand to slip from the base of the other’s neck while a hand raised to her hip — & maybe for just a few seconds TOO LONG, jeff’s eyes fell and lingered on the subtle curve of annie’s hips before pulling back up to meet her SASSY gaze.
“is this where you’ll pull out all your old BACKSTREET BOYS cds and play them on repeat until i admit to their musical genius ??? ” jeff’s brows quirked up as he grinned, white teeth flashing for a few moments before he was left to shrug once again when it came to annie’s line of questioning. he was far from forgetting that halloween when annie had put all her time & energy into that party for the study group and spanish class, but that wasn’t the EXACT reason why ABBA often came to mind when he thought about annie. jeff was just … less sure that annie would appreciate his reasoning ( or if he was willing to admit it ).
“c’mon, like you aren’t always wiggling around for one reason or another,” he gave a partial answer. jeff still had VIVID memories of the private christmas dance & song he’d been treated to during the last glee club debacle ( all baby-talk omitted ) which had to count for something, but still. there were more — daydreams ? fantasies ?? musings ??? of annie dancing WITH him that jeff knew he could bring up, but didn’t completely want to.
jeff slipped away a little further, steps taking him in reverse so he was far enough away from annie to lower himself down onto the edge of her bed. “it’s the lyrics, too. ‘ YOUNG AND SWEET, ONLY SEVENTEEN ’ — they’re more fitting for the first year that we knew each other, but i still …” think about it. he ALMOST winced, admitting how long he’d considered what song fit annie, but instead, jeff steamrolled ahead. “i’ve thought about it,” he gave in, hands pressing into the mattress just behind himself for support. “you have all the DANCING QUEEN potential.”
within seconds he had already caught on to her train of THOUGHT. would she admit to him she owned EVERY cd by the most perfect boy band of the 90′s? leaving him hanging sounded SATISFYING. lips pulled into a half smirk, cheeks flushed. the way jeff wiggled his way into her brain pan, tickled her, filled her with a kind of goofy joy. having someone SOLID from back home made her feel at ease. as BRITTA called it LOOSEY GOOSEY. muscles weren’t so tense that she needed a bubble bath. only her study group could keep her cool & collected. or at least for a little while. until her leg started to wiggle with out of habit to keep MOVING.
holding her breathe, a laugh finally trickled from her, “how did you know?” eyes starring at him with such WONDER & ADMIRATION. so much intelligence inside his head; it was probably the reason his forehead was rather abnormal? it was his most PROMINENT FEATURE. “do you instantly know what i’m going to say? do you have ESP?” reminding herself of troy and abed. while getting closer to jeff, annie was starting to miss every one else, their shenanigans were what the made group WORK. while some STAYED at greenfield, some slipped away, pulling the group farther & farther apart. all of it was sad to see. annie was ALWAYS trying to keep the group intact. yet nothing could keep them from staying. of the original study group jeff, abed, britta, and herself. selfishly annie was glad it was JEFF here with his confidence and wide smile, it was easy to feel comfortable. despite his overly cocky attitude jeff was jeff; there wasn’t anyone she’d rather be with.
“please,” waving him off with her hand, “i’m just very---- energetic?? i always have a little PEP in my step even though i was a TERRIBLE cheerleader.” thinking back to her days in high school before community college. annie was a nothing in a blur of popular idiots. feeling like an UGLY DUCKLING she tried everything to fit in including cheerleading. “sometimes you just have to move around to feel a little more positive.”
gently annie’s rolled thinking of when she first met jeff, “if it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t have had a study group--- oh and britta, i’m thankful for your need to sleep with her.” jealousy bubbled up inside her until she took a deep breathe. “do you want to know MY SONG for you?” wiggling her eyebrows at him with a sly smile dancing on her lips. “---and i’m a grown up now? do you have any other songs that work?”
