Jamie's gaze darts around the room as he catches his breath, reorienting himself with where he is. An awareness sets in that their entire momentum just came to an abrupt end.

"Eddie?"

She slinks lower, dragging her forehead all the way down his chest until she ducks out of sight beneath the blanket and he hears her muffled, "Oh my god."

He exhales a quiet laugh, almost in disbelief of what just transpired. The realization of her orgasm teases his mind. If that is what just happened.

In the limited occasions he's participated in a girl getting off before, it never ended with her wrapping herself in his comforter in an attempt to disappear forever.

"Are you-" He starts. "Hey."

"Nope," she whispers. "I'm just gonna…" And then she takes the blanket with her as she attempts to untangle herself from it. And in her effort to find her way out of the covers, winds up falling off the edge of the bed.

"Oh my god, Eddie!" Jamie's hushed words are outmatched by the tell-tale thump of her landing on the wood floor.

He throws himself face-down where he can't help but sputter a laugh into his pillow.

"Fuck!" She hisses.

"Are you okay?" He manages, but his body is still wracked with unexpected laughter.

"Shut up!"

"Are you okay?" He repeats himself. His eyes are watering and he genuinely tries to contain his amusement but he can't stop and he has to turn his head to crack up into his own arm.

A hushed giggle bubbles from underneath the blanket where she remains in a heap on the floor and it makes him laugh even harder.

"Get the hell up here," he whispers.

"I'm making a smooth exit," she insists before deflating into another fit of giggles which he matches, keeling over in his bed and burying his laughter in his sheets.

"I'm gonna die," he manages a weary warning.

"Great! Me too," she announces. "Nice knowing you."

"No really. Please come back up here."

Eddie sweeps the blanket off her head sending a mess of blonde hair over her shoulders. "If we weren't busted before, we will be now."

"It's fine."

She glances nervously to the bedroom door, quiet for a moment like she's anticipating footsteps coming to check on him.

"I'm too scared to open your door," she finally says.

"So then don't go."

"I have to! What am I gonna do? Come out of your room in the morning?" Standing up, she sweeps a gesture down her body. "Looking like this?"

His gaze flicks down, her bare shoulder, her legs as she shifts on nervous feet. "I think you look nice," he shrugs.

She glares and her face scrunches, clearly annoyed with him. "You know exactly what I look like. And your parents aren't stupid. And you're so Catholic--" Her face drops into her hands and she muffles a groan there.

"I don't know," he considers. "What we just did was pretty Catholic, so-"

"Bye, I'm going out the window."

"No, Eddie," he chuckles, climbing out of bed. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Look. Please stay." He gets up and follows, grasping her at her arms. "It'll be fine, I promise."

Gradually, she lifts her chin and treats him to calming blue eyes. She looks at him for a moment before a soft laugh flicks the corner of her mouth and she lets herself take a deep breath.

"I didn't-" She starts. "I didn't think that would… happen. I guess."

Offering a faint smile, his touch trails down her arms until loose fingers lace with hers and he holds her hands. "Didn't think you would-" One brow arches. "Fall out of bed?"

She exhales a laugh. "Yes. Fall out of bed." Her hands squeeze his and together, they take a few steps back. "That was unexpected."

"I was really close to falling out of bed," he tells her and he can feel the tease on his face. "So I'm really glad it was you and not me."

"Oh my god," she mutters, her eyes close and she lets her face fall against his chest.

"Look, I don't know what I would have done if that had gone on another ten seconds anyway," he confesses.

She lifts her head and treats him to the flash of her playful blue eyes. The way she felt, the way she kissed him and the noises that escaped her were some of the hottest sensations he had ever experienced, even more than actual sex with past girlfriends.

"Honestly," he laughs.

"Well." She clears her throat, giving a coy glance to the side. "I'm sorry. If that was painful."

"Don't apologize."

A smile grows on her face as she looks up at him. "Okay. Well… since we're not apologizing," she says. "When I came in here earlier and said I was sorry for kissing you…"

"Yeah, what's that about?"

"That was a lie," she confesses. "I'm not… sorry."

He glances down with a grin and notices their hands before he absently traces the tip of his thumb in a heart shape on her palm. "Yeah, neither am I."

"I know that you're my friend," she continues and blows out a nervous laugh. "And I don't want to do anything to screw that up."

He looks her, the uneasy crease along her forehead, the way she drags her bottom lip beneath her teeth. His heart pounds for her and it makes his entire chest feel like it's going to burst. The feeling sneaks up on him, like this culmination of every moment, every stumble, every something with her, like pieces to a puzzle that together, suddenly start to look real.

His hands leave hers and he reaches up to let them slip into her hair. He holds her, letting his forehead rest there. "You know you're so much more than that," he whispers.

Her eyes fall closed and he has to smile at the adorable scrunch of her nose. She offers a soft nod before her face tilts up and her lips brush his.

He savors her kiss, the heat that still lingers there before he slips away and quirks one eyebrow. "But really do you know? I think you know, but- you know?"

She bites down on a quiet laugh as she gazes up at him. "I think I know-"

"I love you." The words just happen. It's like he opened his mouth to say something else and that's what came out. But it's the truth. He loves her so damn much, the idea of keeping her at the distance of simple friendship makes his chest feel hollow. "I mean- I know that's…" He finally exhales a heavy breath and tries not to cave in on himself. "Out of nowhere."

She swallows hard and gives him this reassuring smile. "It's not."

"We are friends." He tells her. "But-"

"I love you too."

He looks at her, seeking that sparkle of affirmation in her eyes. They glow a deep blue with hints of silver in the darkness of his room and they captivate him, they always have.

And then her lips part when her gaze connects with his. "I… I know we've been friends for a while now. So in that way, I've loved you," she continues. "The way you do when you care about someone."

He nods and his stomach sinks as if all this heavy air tumbles out of his lungs. Nervous, fidgety fingers continue to loop around one another as he finds himself still playing with her hands.

"I don't know-" she starts before she manages a shaky breath. "If I've known a long time, or I've just realized. But now, it's-"

"Different," he murmurs.

Letting her gaze settle on his again. "It's different," she echoes softly.

He offers the beginnings of a proud smirk. "I've known a long time."

"Oh shut up." Her palm smacks his shoulder. "You have not. You just realized the minute you saw my expert football pass."

"I knew when I watched you run across my yard and you looked just like the Super Mario Brothers-" And then quietly, he jogs in place to mimic the strides of her short legs.

She pounds his shoulder again with her fist and Jamie cracks himself up as she continues her assault.

He swoops his arms low around her hips to steady her and they rock side to side before they topple onto the bed together. They're quick to shush each other as their laughter dissipates and she adjusts on her back.

She sweeps a stand of hair off her face. "I will be happy to give you a black eye to match the one you already have."

"I bet you would."

"So mean," she whispers with a twitch at her lips as she lies beneath him.

"Will you stay?" He wonders.

With a deep breath, she narrows her gaze at him as if to figure out how such a sleepover would unfold. "But your parents-"

Jamie makes a face like it's nothing that concerns him.

A smile pulls at her cheek and her lashes lower, glancing to his mouth as it looms over hers. "You rebel," she whispers, just before he captures her lips in a kiss that feels like the very last piece to something real.

A/N: That's all for this little story! I hope you enjoyed some holiday AU Jamko shenanigans and thanks for reading!