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Ryan smelled like coffee and fabric softener. It shouldn’t work, but God, it sure did. Jim had never breathed such an intoxicating scent in his life. Maybe that’s why he had such an attachment to him. Or, you know, it could be the fact that he was in love with him.
He was in love with him. Jim was in love with Ryan. The salesman had known that for a long time, but he still wasn’t tired of saying it. Sometimes, he found himself alone just letting that one thought run through his mind, over and over again. He didn’t think about that nearly as much as he thought about the fact that Ryan loved him back, though. It still amazed him, even after being with the guy for two years.
Two years, had it really been that long already? Jim could still remember so vividly the first time he saw Ryan. He remembered giving him a lopsided grin and the shy smile the temp gave in return, hidden behind Michael. He also remembered the weeks following that, completely filled with those shy smiles and tiny glances at each other from across the room.
It didn’t take very long before they found themselves sneaking to see each other somewhere the cameras couldn’t see them. They couldn’t help it. It was like the world hadn’t existed before they met. Everything that happened in Jim’s life before Ryan walked into it didn’t matter. All that mattered was his Ry and his Ry’s happiness and his Ry getting all of the love and attention he was capable of giving him because Jesus, nothing made Jim happier than that adorable little smile Ryan wore when he had made him happy.
Ryan’s smile and Ryan’s laugh had become Jim’s obsession, no matter how unhealthy it was. There was never a moment that the precious boy wasn’t on his mind, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.
Jim looked forward to mornings like these, mornings where he could stay close to Ryan and breathe in his scent just a little longer. He looked down at Ryan, smiling softly at the sight of his boyfriend sleeping soundly at his side. He gently ran the back of his hand across his face but stopped as soon as he started to stir, afraid of waking him. Jim knew Ryan wouldn’t have really minded and he actually really wanted to wake him just to tell him how cute he looked when he slept, but seeing him so peaceful made his little heart melt, so he didn’t.
Instead, Jim settled for watching him from a distance, his head propped up by his elbow. Unfortunately for him, though, Ryan always seemed to know when Jim was watching him, which was very, very inconvenient. His eyes opened slowly and he smiled sleepily up at Jim, his heart fluttering a little knowing someone even admired him that much.
“Quit staring, you creep.”
Jim chuckled at that and ran a hand through his hair.
“You love it.”
That was true. Ryan did love it, a lot, but he didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of being right. Still, he couldn’t bring himself to take it away from him either, so he left it alone.
“Seriously though, how long have you been watching me sleep?” Ryan laughed and reached for Jim’s hand, which his boyfriend didn’t hesitate to give.
“Awhile,” he grinned.
“Oh, wow. I didn’t realize I was that interesting,” Ryan teased.
Jim ran his thumb along his hand and smiled, “you are.”
Ryan chuckled quietly, “Isn’t it a little early to be this cliché?”
Jim’s soft smile was replaced with a look of mock hurt.
“What? I’ll have you know, Howard, I am not cliché. I just happen to really like looking at you while you sleep.”
Ryan scoffed. “Okay, right. Maybe cliché wasn’t the right word. That-that’s just weird, Halpert.”
“It’s not! Aren’t you supposed to think of that kind of thing as sweet, anyway?”
Ryan smiled and carefully reached for Jim’s face with his free hand, pulling him down for a quick and gentle kiss to answer his question. They were both aware that it was just teasing, but Ryan still wanted him to know how much he appreciated that-or just how much he appreciated him, in general.
“What time is it?” he mumbled with his forehead against Jim’s before pressing another kiss to his nose.
Jim glanced down at the alarm clock.
“It’s seven.”
Ryan gasped and pulled his hand away from Jim’s as if it had burned him. No one had a right to wake him up at such an ungodly hour. Not even Jim.
“Jesus Christ, Halpert! Are you trying to make me hate you?”
“Shut up,” he smirked.
“Whatever. I’m going back to sleep.”
Ryan had already resumed his sleeping position and Jim’s immediate reaction was to do the same, wrapping his arms around Ryan’s slim frame and tugging him closer. They stayed like that in silence for a while, Jim’s hand delicately tracing patters on Ryan’s stomach.
“Hey, Halpert?”
“Yeah, Ry?”
“I love you,” he mumbled, half asleep, and Jim’s heart almost exploded.
“I love you too, baby,” he whispered, pressing a kiss into Ryan’s dark hair.
“More than you know.”