Author's Note: Y'ullo! I wrote this whilst watching 'No Strings Attached', having a Merrithon (a Merriweather marathon, heard it here first y'alls). If you haven't watched it…why? Jake Johnson is hilarious in it, and Liz Merriweather is actually in it. Watch. Now. Please?

Also, your reviews are bloody lovely. Too kind, too kind! Thanks guys x

Intimacies and Fireworks

Nick couldn't believe this was actually about to happen, he'd wanted tis for the better part of a year.

It started with the 'Nerdy Weird Sex' coupon Jess had made for her then-boyfriend. Like, it REALLY started then. He'd had thoughts of her before, like when her towel fell off her body in his room and he saw EVERYTHING; but the coupon made him think of sex with her in reality. It was so Jess to make that as a gift. He actually even kept it, hoping to cash it in one day. He had to steal it from her back at the mall, He didn't want Paul to be its owner.

Things kept happening that made him think more about it. When Nick was with Julia, Jess had issues with her, and it found it almost exciting that she didn't lie about her distaste for the lawyer, and the fact they were sort-of fighting because of him. Jess seemed to get so riled, and he had never seen that before.

Then when Russell came around, he knew she was unavailable again, and the jealousy was taken to a new level. The fact he respected Russell so much made it worse. She was so different to him; he was so much older, and she was so odd in such an incredible way.

By the time Nick had found out about their break-up, he'd already made the catastrophic mistake of running back to Caroline, just so he wouldn't be alone, when everyone else was happy in relationships. Their infamous 'butt-shaking' argument made things worse. She didn't need to know he'd already looked at her butt plenty of times, but this time there was permission. He didn't exactly waste the oppotuniy before she stormed off.

He moved back in for her after the short-lived Caroline reunion was over. He moved back in, ALL for her, and now she finally knew. And as he finally brushed her hair back behind her ears, and touched her face, she didn't pull back. She didn't push him away like she did when Remy was present. She felt it too. No wonder she'd given him the pep-talk just before he announced he was moving out; why she had such interest in his Caroline situation; why after shouting at him about leaving, she'd later told him she was happy for him if it's what he wanted. She meant it, and she'd resigned.

The past was gone for now. They got closer, nearer, faster. Just as their lips were about to meet, they locked eyes. His were the most complex shade of brown, she'd never seen anything like it before. They had lighter brown specks nearer the iris, yet overall looked very dark. His breath hitched, her eyes were beautiful. She bit her lip after what seemed like an lifetime of being this close. It was his invitation to kiss her.

Their bottom lips touched first…

"HEY SCHMIDT?!"

Jess heard Cece's drunken whining first, fast approaching their apartment door. She sounded very far-gone. Cece officially had the WORST timing.

*BANG BANG BANG*

"Cece, what the HELL do you want?" Jess all but shouted as she swung the door open to reveal the model in a Little Black Dress, carrying her heels, it was clearly later than Jess thought. Pulling away from Nick when she felt like this was agony. Cece stumbled in.

"Nick, goo'wayyy. I need advice frumm mah guuurl Jee-yesss..!"

"NO CEESS! Not now. Another time, another day, just not now, ok?"

"Is Schmidt here? Who's here? Where's Schmidt?"

"No, he isn't here, it's just me and Nick." She realised she said the last part too urgently, when Cece raised one eyebrow, a wicked glint in her eye and a smirk on her face.

Cece was useless at speaking quietly after tequila and four cosmopolitans. In a stage whisper, she questioned Jess with the same look on her face, "Ohhhh…finally?", she finished with a wink.

Jess went bright red, and slowly turned to look at Nick out of the corner of her eye, who appeared to have heard Cece's gossip hunting, as he had an accusative yet amused look on his face, which contrasted so much against his face three minutes ago when their lips were barely touching.

"No Cece! Get out, I'll call you tomorrow. Call Schmidt, you need to get your Schmidt together…I mean your shit…I mean…just call him, OK?"

"Love you, bitch." She was finally turning to leave, but managed to quietly wolf-whistle during her exit.

"Love you..bitchier? Bye…no, Cece, the elevator is on the LEFT. Yes! OK, byeee!"

As soon as the door was closed, Jess kept her hand on the handle, and rested her forehead against the door. She stood there for what felt like five minutes, but was twenty seconds in reality, before turning around to look at the man she so badly wanted to kiss.

Not a single word was passed between them, none were appropriate. They simply had to look at each other from across the apartment. It took less than ten seconds before they both snapped and walked towards each other with impressive speed, not far off running.

Gone were the intimacies of caressing each others faces, or gazing into each others eyes. This was it. When they finally closed the distance, they grabbed the first part of each other they could reach – Nick putting his hands either side of her face, and Jess throwing her arms around his neck. Then they felt their first kiss together. It happened so fast, their perfect moment. They didn't need cheesy background music, slow motion movements, or to be stood on a balcony in some slushy rom-com, with fireworks co-incedently starting as they made contact. They just needed to be Nick and Jess, at last.

The kiss progressed, and in jess' mind, something occurred to her, aside from the obvious. This was what she always wanted, the perfect balance between passion and stability. It was Nick Miller, her Nick Miller, and she was his Jess Day.