Author's Note at end
When graduation night finally rolls around, Annie actually thinks about not participating.
While she's technically graduating with her Bachelor's in Healthcare Administration, she's still got an extra year of work for the degree that she really wants – and she's not one to use technicalities to skate by.
Hell, she'd even taken her name out of the running for valedictorian because she didn't think that it was right for her to have the title, even if, technically, her grades had earned her the spot. (The fact that Shirley got the honor instead, rather than some random stranger, probably softened the blow just a little, but Jeff knows that it had to kill her just a little, to work that hard and not enjoy any recognition for it.)
But he points out that it's not just about her – the group's already disappointed that Jeff and Pierce graduated after last semester and they won't be marching to Pomp and Circumstance as a complete unit; if Annie ditches them too, it'll be even worse. Of course, he puts in, she also deserves to put on the stupid cap and gown and have the Dean theatrically thrust a faux diploma into her hands after four years of craziness at Greendale.
She's silent for a moment, but she eventually smiles and bobs her head. He's pretty sure that she would have made the same decision all on her own, though – she's just too hard on herself sometimes.
Under her gown, she wears a simple satin dress in a light purple shade that makes her skin look especially luminous. He wears his favorite suit, gray worsted wool with a subtle woven salt and pepper pattern, and Annie's favorite tie, simple cobalt silk. When they stand together in front of the full length mirror in his bedroom, he thinks, not for the first time, that they are one seriously good-looking couple.
In an unprecedented move, the Dean has decided to hold the ceremony outdoors on the quad, declaring that too many of Greendale's "special" events are held in the cafeteria and graduation deserves its own space. He blows what little discretionary budget that he has left for the year on a rented tent and folding chairs, and by any standards, the set-up is actually pretty nice – though Jeff realizes that any venue that doesn't smell like a week's worth of tater tots and meatloaf is bound to seem like an improvement.
He's just parked the car and they're headed toward the quad when Annie drops the bombshell that both of her parents will be at the ceremony. He is definitely surprised, but suddenly, the past few days, when she's been quite and preoccupied, make a little more sense. He'd attributed her mood to conflicted feelings about graduating, but not really graduating, but maybe it was all about her family after all.
"I didn't want to make a big deal out of it," she says. "Because it's really not. Showing up for an hour at the end of four years doesn't really mean all that much, right?"
Jeff shrugs.
"An hour's more than I ever got from my dad, so maybe I'm not the best person to ask."
Her expression softens, and she steps toward him, balancing on her toes to kiss him softly. She's wearing those sexy stilettos again so she doesn't have to stretch too much, but his hands find her waist to steady her anyway.
"I'll see you after the ceremony," she says, heading off to where the rest of the graduating class is already gathered.
So her parents are here, he thinks as he goes to find a seat. He scans the crowd for a moment, wondering if he'd be able to pick them out just based on resemblance alone – because let's face it, you don't wind up looking like Annie does without a seriously blessed gene pool. She didn't say anything about him meeting them, so he doesn't know if that's on the agenda or not. Honestly, he has no clue what he'd say to her parents – there's plenty that he'd *like* to tell them, but he doubts that any of it would score him big points for a first impression.
The ceremony is a long, drawn out affair – he assumes that all graduations are like this, but the Dean takes it up a notch with pointless musical tributes and group cheers. At one point, he even reads all of Dr. Suess' 'Oh, The Places You'll Go!,' which probably isn't that long but seems interminable when Craig Pelton is showboating his way through it.
Jeff is starting to realize that his low-key, private ceremony was a hell of lot better than this ordeal.
Mercifully, they finally make it to the portion of the event where names are being read off and diplomas handed out. Troy, Shirley and Annie all get theirs pretty early in the proceedings, so his attention holds well enough, what with all the clapping and whistling that he does. But then he checks his watch and realizes that there will be a seriously long gap between Edison and Nadir, and he wonders if it's totally bad manners to take his phone out and play a little Triple Town while he waits.
He is saved from that moral dilemma by his phone actually vibrating in his pocket in a move that feels very much like divine intervention. He tugs it out and sees a text message from Annie, asking him to meet her on the other side of Luis Guzman.
On auto-pilot, he gets up and heads for the statute. It's such an un-Annie like move, ditching graduation in the middle of the ceremony when two of her best friends haven't even received their diplomas yet, that he figures that something big must have happened – he would think that the occasion would call for everyone to be on their best behavior, but a fight with one or both of her parents is all that he can come up with.
She is pacing in front of one of the benches when he makes his way to her, her cap and diploma sitting on the worn wood. Her gown is open, so he can see her dress underneath, and she's wringing her hands like she doesn't quite know what to do with them.
Obviously, she's wound up pretty tight about something.
"I'm sorry," she says, as soon as she spots him. "Making you come out here in the middle of the ceremony. I just …"
She shakes her head, staring down at the pointy toes of her shoes.
"Is everything all right?" he asks. "Did something happen with your parents?"
When she looks up, her eyes are wet, but she shakes her head again, slow and sure.
"Jeff," she says, exhaling his name with a deep breath. "There's something I have to tell you, something I've been trying to tell you for the past few days and just couldn't… But I was sitting there, listening to everyone's names being called, and I couldn't wait anymore. Because I know later, after the ceremony, everyone's going to be around and I just want to …"
She takes another breath, and when she lifts her chin now, there's a calmness in her expression, a certainty and determination that she always wears when she's absolutely committed to seeing something through.
"I know that this might not be what you want to hear, that it might change things between us," she continues. "But I have to say it. For me."
And just like that it, it all makes sense - why she's been so anxious the past few days, why she walked out on her graduation, why she's standing here, looking like she's about to turn herself inside out. He knows exactly what she's going to tell him because he's known it for weeks now, maybe even longer than that, and no matter how terrifying the entire idea of it may be, it's like he's been waiting for this moment for a long, long time.
He just wishes that she wasn't quite so sure that he was going to react badly to the "news."
So he does the hard work for her.
"You love me," he says, and then shakes his head, realizing his mistake. "You're *in* love with me."
Annie stares at him, dumbfounded, like he's mysteriously cracked the combination to her locker. Did she honestly think that he didn't know? Does she really think that everything that she says and does doesn't reveal everything about the way that she feels about him?
But then, he reconsiders - since they got together, she's really done nothing but follow his lead, let him dictate the pace and the terms, careful the entire time to respect his feelings and not push for something that he wasn't ready for. She held herself back, for sure, so maybe she honestly thinks that he didn't get the message, that she hasn't made him feel loved the entire time.
"I don't want to make you uncomfortable," she says. "I mean, you obviously know, so I hope I haven't already made you uncomfortable. But I just think that –"
"It's okay," he assures her, cupping his hands around her shoulders. "I'm in love with you too. To an embarrassing degree, actually, but I really don't want to talk about it too much yet." He shrugs, trying to avoid the star struck look in her eyes. "Honestly, if you tell anyone that I said this, I'll probably deny it. Claim you made the whole thing up."
She sputters out a laugh, looking confused but not surprised.
"So what does all this mean then?" she asks.
Her voice is so soft and tender that it's almost lost among the echo of the Dean's voice, still calling out names at the graduation ceremony across the quad.
"I'm not sure," he says truthfully – because it's not as if he has much experience with this kind of thing. "Maybe we can just see what happens."
It has worked for them before, after all. They've made it this far, just letting it all unfold naturally, so it seems stupid to change the game now.
Annie grins, tilting her head coyly.
"That was my plan. I should get credit."
"Sure," he agrees, with a smile. "It was all you."
She takes a step forward, pressing her body against his, and kisses him fiercely, her arms wrapped around his neck. His hands slip inside her gown so they can find her hips and keep her locked in place. He feels her smile against his mouth, practically radiating giddiness, and he pulls back to look at her.
"Can you just…" she asks in a whisper. "Will you just say it one more time?"
"I love you," he murmurs. Her eyes flutter closed, but she's still smiling. "Like a fucking idiot."
Her eyes snap open in surprise, and she laughs.
"You're such a romantic," she teases.
He shrugs, trying not to grin like a damn fool.
"What I lack in romance, I make up for in other, very worthwhile ways."
She nods, smoothing her hands along the lapels of his jacket.
"I do too, you know," she says.
"What?"
She beams up at him, as lovely as she's ever looked.
"I love you, you know, like a …"
She makes small circles with her hand to complete her thought, and Jeff can't help but grin.
"Come on," he urges. "Just say it. It's liberating."
For some ridiculous reason, she blushes just a bit - but then she lifts her shoulders and lets out a deep breath, all full of resolve.
"Like a fucking idiot," she declares emphatically.
He laughs because all of this feels pretty ridiculous and actually pretty amazing and he doesn't know what else to do.
Well, that's not entirely true.
Kissing her seems like the obvious thing, so he winds a hand through her hair and tugs her back to his mouth. They kind of sway together, almost like they're dancing right there at Luis Guzman's feet. She melts into him, leaving no point where their bodies aren't in full, heated contact, and he thinks of his own graduation, how all of this started back then because they just couldn't keep their hands off one another for a minute longer. He knows that there's no trip to his backseat in their immediate future, but there's still that same sense of urgency, that same white-hot spark smoldering between them months later – except maybe now it actually it burns a little deeper.
He wants to keep it going for as long as they can.
When he drifts back for a breath, he rubs his thumb along her cheekbone and smiles, hoping that he looks calmer than he feels.
"I just… you're sure about this?" he asks. "About us? I just really need to know that you are."
Annie tilts her head, her eyes soft and smoky, and grins back at him.
"Jeff," she sighs, and it is ridiculous how much he loves the way she says his name, like she's poured everything that she feels for him into that single word. "Yes. Of course. I'm completely sure. I've been sure for a long, long time."
He nods, making a sound that's almost a laugh but mostly a sigh that he tries to swallow down.
"Okay. Good. Because I am too and I just—"
She doesn't let him finish, tugging him down for another deep, slow kiss. Neither of them can stop smiling when they pull apart, which is pretty damn embarrassing – but he decides that they should cut themselves some slack for the next hour or so while they're still basking in the fact that the air between is them perfectly clear for maybe the first time ever.
They've earned the right to be – as Britta would snark – insufferable for a little while.
Annie nods back toward the tent, where the Dean's sing-songy voice can still be heard rattling off names.
"We should get back," she says. "I think we can still make it in time for Abed and Britta."
She grabs her cap and diploma from the bench and reaches for his hand. He can feel her looking at him as they walk, though her eyes dart away every time that he glances her way. She's clearly thinking about something, but he can't imagine what could have her so uneasy when they've just laid all their cards out on the table. He catches her looking at him again, and she offers up a sheepish smile.
""I was just …" she says. "Do you want to meet my parents?"
She blurts it out quickly, almost like she hopes he won't be able to understand her, and he wonders if it's a trick question – because he doesn't particularly want to meet them. It's not like she's close to them or they play a meaningful role in her life.
But then, they are still her parents, no matter what they've done or haven't done. Unlike his father, they were around for most of her life, and good or bad, in however small a way, they've helped shape who she's become.
So what is the right answer?
He decides to play it safe.
"Do *you* want me to meet them?" he asks.
She sighs, swinging their joined hands through the air.
"I don't… it's… No." She shrugs, and huffs out a strained laugh. "Not really. I'll probably just wind up really embarrassed."
He cocks his head, feeling vaguely insulted.
"No," she declares. "Not embarrassed of you! Embarrassed of *them*. They can barely be in the same room without World War 3 breaking out, and my mother can be seriously judgmental, with all her passive-aggressive snide comments, and my dad will probably just start asking all these questions about whether you have an IRA or a 401K and if you've ever thought about diversifying your portfolio. I really don't want to inflict them on you."
He bobs his head, because, yeah, that doesn't exactly sound like his idea of fun. At all.
But the again, it's going to have to happen sooner or later, he thinks. Maybe a happy occasion like this, with everyone in a relatively good mood and trying to be polite, is the best option.
"I should probably meet them, though," he says finally. "You know, just get it over with."
She glances at him, looking a little surprised, but nods.
"I don't know exactly how to introduce you," she admits. "Boyfriend just sounds ridiculous. Like you're taking me to the prom or something."
He grins.
"Just tell them the truth then - I'm your better half."
She laughs, but elbows him in the ribs playfully.
"I am *not* telling them that."
"I guess you're stuck with boyfriend then."
She sneaks a sideways look at him, her expression somewhere between tentative and adoring.
"You're okay with that?" she asks, her voice just as soft as her eyes.
He offers up his most charming smile and lifts his shoulder.
"Well, manfriend just sounds creepy, right?"
Annie rubs her thumb against his knuckle and lets out a quiet laugh.
"I already told them I can't have dinner with them, though," she says. "Because I have plans with you guys."
"With Troy and Abed picking the restaurant, you may wind up regretting that decision," he tells her. "Just wait - it's probably going to be one of those places that's decorated to look like a rainforest or where the wait staff's shtick is being rude to the customers."
Annie shrugs, smiling softly.
"It doesn't matter. As long as I'm with you guys."
"We could always blow it off, though," he suggests, just as they reach the edge of the tent. "Have a private celebration instead. Emphasis on 'private.'"
She grins as she sets her cap back on top of her head.
"I've already got something planned for after dinner."
He grins right back at her.
"Oh yeah? What does—"
"It's a surprise," she says.
She turns to head back to her seat.
"See, that's why I …"
He hesitates for a moment - because is he really just going to go around saying it all the time like this, like some kind of pathetic, lovesick puppy? - and she glances at him over her shoulder, still smiling big and bright.
"That's why you what?" she asks pointedly.
She turns to face him and it looks like it's taking everything in her not to bounce up and down with total and utter delight. He lifts his shoulders uselessly, because yeah, he's apparently a fucking sap and there just doesn't seem to be a way around it.
"That's why I love you," he says simply.
Her smile is that trademark blend of sweet, sexy, surprised, and sure that she always manages when she's really and truly happy, and he realizes again just how dangerous she really is.
"But I think we're going to have to institute some rules," he tells her. "About many times a week you're allowed to make me say it."
She shakes her head slowly, her expression becoming more sultry and sly.
"I'm not going to *make* you say it," she insists. "I want you to say it when you feel it."
He smirks – leave it to her to make it all seem so simple.
"That's not gonna work either," he says. "Because if I do that, I'm going to wind up breaking my own rule."
She grins and steps back toward him – she may not actually skip in those skyscraper heels, but she does something that comes pretty damn close.
"And that's why I love you," she whispers.
She grabs his tie and pulls him in for another kiss.
Abed's name is called a minute later, so they break apart and clap right there on the edge of quad. Annie insists on getting back to her seat before Britta gets her diploma, and he watches her hurry off, the dark blue gown billowing around her like a cape.
Later, he makes polite small talk with her mother and shakes her father's hand in what might possibly go down as the most awkward meeting-the-parents scenario in history. Annie stares at her feet for most of it, looking like she wishes that she was any other place on earth.
Later still, when they wind up in pre-historic themed restaurant, with an animatronic dinosaur hanging over their booth and Dean Pelton (who somehow butts his way into their celebration by melodramatically crying "You're my favorite students ever! Greendale won't be the same without you!") crammed in beside them, she gets her wish.
Personally, he thinks another go-around with her parents might actually be preferable to this.
But then he looks at her, hoisting her ridiculously oversized cotton candy martini – and yeah, he's embarrassed just to be sitting at a table where there are not one, but two garishly pink, cotton candy flavored martinis, because, of course, the Dean had to order one too – to her lips, and she is beautiful and happy, laughing with their friends, and maybe that makes all of this crap tolerable.
Actually, it makes a lot of crap tolerable.
He wonders if the rest of the table can tell that something has shifted between them, that they're not exactly the same as they were yesterday. It's a ridiculous thought, that somehow it would show up in their faces, voices, body language, but he's having a hard time thinking of anything else and his world view is just ego-centric enough to think that it must be as big a deal to everyone else.
But then again, he kind of likes that they're the only ones who know – just like the way it all started.
Annie catches him looking at her and smiles, her eyes flickering in the dim, prehistoric mood lighting. She runs her hand over his thigh and leans in close enough for him to smell the sickeningly sweet scent of her breath.
"I know what you're thinking," she whispers.
"Yeah," he says, grinning. "You do."
A/N: That's all folks!
If you made it all the way to the end (I'll be honest—I didn't think I was going to sometimes), thank you, thank you, thank you. And a special thanks to everyone who took the time to leave reviews. I know that I didn't always respond or reply to them, but I read each and every one and appreciated all of them, even ones with the constructive criticism.
This was my first fanfic for Community and I was pretty nervous about it (writing such a long story out of the gate probably wasn't the smartest move, huh?), but I had so much fun that I can definitely see myself writing another. I don't have anything specific planned at the moment, though that can change quickly. I'll doubt I'll post as I'm actually writing again – it's a little too stressful for my tastes – so I wouldn't expect anything quite this long in the immediate future.
Thanks again! I had so much fun with this story and I hope you all reading did as well.