Joey walked down the pier toward the True Love, anticipation churning in her stomach. Her body is already filled with an intensity that she's never experienced before; it took an immense amount of energy to keep her knees from buckling. Knowing Pacey was right behind her and that they were both headed for the same destination with the same purpose in mind was almost too much for her to take. She glances back at him over her shoulder, giving him a coy smile and picking up her pace.

She had to stop herself from giggling at the notion of what she was about to do. She wasn't laughing at the act itself or anything of that nature. Just at the fact that little Joey Potter, the former Ice Queen who had long been saving herself for one Dawson Leery, was practically racing to get down into the cabin of Pacey's boat, so anxious to make love to him that if he had wanted to lay down on the dock and do it right there, she wouldn't have objected.

Pacey watches Joey as she swiftly walks just a mere few paces ahead of him, her luscious hips swaying back and forth. He takes two larger strides and is by her side in moments, circling his arm around her small waist with a smile. Joey slips her own slender arm around him in response, slowing as they come to the boat. Pacey climbs aboard and offers her his hand, which she takes with a smile.

"Any other day I would offer some remark about your frequent habit of assuming that I can't get onto the boat without your help and your insistence on giving me a hand," Joey says as she steps onto the boat, tossing the bag full of their wet swimsuits and towels onto the deck.

"And why would you withhold today, my lady?" Pacey grins, using his grip on her hand to his advantage and tugging her to him. Joey bites her lower lip and gives him a crooked half smile, her eyes glinting playfully.

"Because I want you to give me more than a hand," Joey murmurs, brushing her lips against his ear. She turns away from him, trailing her hand down his chest suggestively. Curling one finger and beckoning him toward her, Joey begins climbing down below. Teasingly, Pacey doesn't follow her, instead just leaning against the railing and letting out a light whistle. Joey looks at him, puzzled.

"I don't know, Joey," Pacey shrugs. "It's an awfully nice night, maybe we should just sit out here for awhile and enjoy the clear, starry sky." He smirks at her lightly, seeing her annoyed expression. Pacey fixes his gaze on the sky, enjoying her irritation. She never looked more beautiful than when she was angry; her spunk and her fire made her more attractive than anything else in the world.

"Pacey..." Joey begins, and he looks back toward her only to find that she has gone down below, and her shirt was now lying on the deck where she had stood. Smiling, Pacey walks over and picks up the piece of clothing, then climbs the ladder down into the cabin. His breath catches in his throat when he finds Joey sitting on the bed, her chest bare, and her brown eyes deep and dark in the dim light of the room. "You still want to look at the stars?"

"Why would I want to do that? They're only beautiful if they shining down on you - if you're not there to complement them, they're just big balls of gas millions of miles away. Hardly impressive."

"You know that day in the craft store, Pace?" Joey asks, standing up and walking toward him. Pacey's breathing quickens, his hands caressing her flat stomach and settling on her curvy hips as she stops in front of him.

"How could I forget?" Pacey responds huskily. Joey can feel his erection pressing against her through his khaki shorts, now pulled taut around his body and her nipples harden.

"I wanted to make love to you so badly then. I wanted it more than anything in the world," Joey unbuttons his shirt slowly, one button at a time. She fingers each clear plastic button thoughtfully for a moment, toying with it as she gazes up into his eyes. "I wanted you to hold me against the wall and pull me to you, down onto you. I can't imagine how you will feel inside of me, Pacey; my dreams of it are so incredible and it makes me want you so much - because I know that you will surpass any of my wildest dreams. I know you're going to feel so amazing that I won't be able to breathe. I can't imagine so much pleasure on my own." When his shirt is open, she smoothes her hands up his broad, flat chest and brushes her lips against his. "My body throbs just to think of it." She pulls his shirt off of him. Pacey lets out a small moan, letting his eyes fall closed as Joey tugs his wife beater from the waistband of his shorts.

"There's so many thoughts running through my head, Pacey..." Joey whispers, her voice full of longing. "One minute I'm wishing that you would pin me down and fuck me, and fuck me hard. To screw me with wild abandon until I scream like an animal, and the next minute I want to make love. I want to take the time to know every inch of your body, to have you kiss me everywhere and anywhere, to have you go so slowly that I just about feel like I can't take it, until I feel like I'm going to go insane. And some mornings I wake up and I wonder what it'd be like to climb on top of you, to be the one in charge, to have you under my control..."

"Joey..." The tone of his voice was different, something she hadn't heard before.

"Haven't you had thoughts like that before?" Joey asks, her bravado waning and her voice wavering. Pacey opens his eyes and looks at her.

"Have thoughts like that, Jo?" Pacey repeats softly. "God have I ever. Every time you take a shower I get aroused just imagining what it'd be like if I were to simply go in the bathroom and climb in there with you. I mean, god..you could just look at me across the table at a restaurant and my head immediately fills with fantasies of pulling you onto the table and having my way with you right then and there." He pauses for a moment. "But lust is so overpowering, and sometimes it makes you do things you're not quite ready to do. Are you sure that you want to do this?"

"Why do you think I've been telling you all of this, Pacey?" Joey inquires, running her hand through his hair. "I've never wanted to be with anyone so badly in my entire life. I've never felt so completely in love and so completely happy. You know how they always say when you're ready, you'll know?"

"Yes."

"I know, Pacey. I may not know much but I know that. I can not possibly be more ready," she kisses him deeply, wrapping her arms around her neck. Pacey responds immediately, feeling entirely assured if not by her words but then by her kiss. She was giving him something in that kiss, something more real than he had ever felt in his entire life. He hadn't felt it with Tamara and he hadn't felt it with Andie; she was giving him everything. Her body, her soul, her heart, her entire being. And he could feel himself giving himself in return. Every time her lips left his he felt lost and when they met again he felt such excitement it felt like it was their very first one.

Joey couldn't pull herself away from him, not for a moment. The world could've been ending outside and it wouldn't have mattered. Her fingers ran over his strong jaw line as they continued to kiss, her fingertips brushing the ends of his soft hair occasionally. She had had the experience of kissing Pacey for almost three months, yet the kisses they were sharing now seemed even better than any kiss they had previously shared. Their kisses were packed with so much emotion and Joey's entire body tingled because she knew these kisses were leading somewhere. She knew that this time it wasn't just kissing and that soon his mouth would be other places than just on her lips. Joey groaned against him and slid her hands underneath his shirt, eager to touch him.

Pacey broke away from her and pulled his wife beater over his head, tossing it aside. Joey moved her hands downward, touching his hardness. As her fingers traced the outline of the bulge, Pacey winced, almost in pain. Knowing the tightness of his shorts and boxers had to be painful, Joey unbuttons and unzips his khakis and eases the material over his hips and over his erection. The intense throbbing between her own legs multiplied as he was exposed to her. She'd seen a naked male before; she'd had to draw more than a few in her extracurricular drawing classes; but she had never been so appreciative of or aroused by someone before. Pacey's body fascinated her and all she wanted to do was touch him all over, to feel his warm flesh under her fingertips. Joey pulls his pants down to his ankles and he steps out of them, kicking off his sandals too. Her face comes level with his cock as she moves back up and she can't resist the urge to pass her tongue over the tip.

"Oh god," the words escape Pacey's mouth before he even thinks them. He tries to pull her up to him but she resists, sliding her tongue along the length of him slowly, enjoying the feel of him swelling beneath her touch. Joey moves her hands up his firm, strong legs and around to his ass as she takes him in, wetting his hard cock with her mouth and tongue. Pacey looks down at her, unable to think clearly as he watches Joey take all nine inches of him in and he almost explodes, realizing that she's deep throating him. She waits a moment before continuing, getting used to him and also enjoying the sensation of him throbbing inside of her mouth as he struggles to maintain control.

When Joey begins to suck, Pacey's hands grip onto her shoulders and he grits his teeth, closing his eyes tightly. He can barely stand the sensation, the pleasure mounting so high it almost hurt.

"Jo...Jo...if you want to...oh my god," he gasps mid-sentence as one of her hands begins to touch his balls. He thrusts into her mouth involuntarily and he bites his lip hard to keep himself from doing it again. "Joey, you have to...aw, shit...oh fuck," Having to stop her before he loses it, he quickly pulls away from her and brings her up to him, kissing her fiercely. Joey kisses him back hungrily. "You're far too good at that for having only done it once, Josephine," Pacey murmurs as he backs her toward the bed. "It's not fair." Joey just smiles and leans back onto the bed, bringing him with her.

"I'd say it's fair, Witter. I guess the powers that be decided to make up for my relative inexperience by giving me natural talent," she teases breathlessly. Pacey's kisses trail down her neck as he presses her back into the pillows, laying her down flat as he presses his palms down against her skin and slides them down her lithe body.

"That they did," Pacey looks up at her with a faint smile. He unbuttons her jean shorts and then unzips them. Joey shivers in anticipation and is disappointed when he doesn't remove her clothing. Instead he moves is mouth to her full breasts, her nipples already hard and ready for him. Pacey runs his hands gently along the undersides her soft but firm mounds, cupping them. Joey looks at his large, rough, hard-worked hands as they caress her body, marveling at how perfect they felt on her skin. His fingers splay across her chest, teasing and tugging on her stiff rosy peaks.

"You're not exactly bereft of talent yourself, Witter," Joey manages to say. She barely recognizes her own voice; it was so throaty and lustful. Pacey responds by lowering his head to her left breast, feeling incredibly pleased as her body jolts against him when his mouth closes over the hard tip. He uses his free hand to fondle her other breast, wanting to keep touching her as much as possible. From the way she was reacting to him, Pacey knew she wanted him to keep touching her just as badly as he did.

Joey twines her fingers in his hair as his lips sear a path toward her other breast, his tongue darting out to wet her heated skin. She holds his head closer to her body, arching up against him. His hardness was between her legs, she could feel it pressing against her insistently, and the aching inside of her body grew. Moving her body ever so slightly against him, Joey manages to elicit a groan from Pacey.

Moving his kisses down her stomach, Pacey stops at the waistband of her shorts and pulls away from her. He goes to the end of the bed and starts pulling down her shorts; Joey arches her hips off of the bed to make things easier. Pacey stares at her for a moment, laying there against the softness of the bed, covered only by the thin lace of her underwear. His eyes travel along the sensuous curves of her body and the swell of her breasts, admiring her long shapely legs and the deep warm shade of her tan. Joey watches him watching her, surprised by how she is feeling. She had expected to be embarrassed when she was fully unclothed, naked for him to see. Instead she felt more aroused and attractive than ever, the heat of his gaze and the intensity brewing in his blue eyes setting her nerve endings on fire.

"God, you are so beautiful, Jo," Pacey whispers, slipping her underwear down her legs and letting it fall to the floor. He climbs back onto the bed, holding himself above her. "So incredibly beautiful." He bends his head and kisses her, lightly at first, but then with more passion. Joey wraps her arms around his back and tries to bring him down onto her, but he resists and again moves to the end of the bed. He runs his hands up her calves and her thighs, pushing her knees up and spreading her legs. His hand moves between them and finds her already dripping wet, aroused and ready. Looking up at her to make sure she still wanted to go on, Pacey slowly slid one finger inside of her body. Joey closes her eyes and moans loudly, not caring who will hear. Pacey moves in and out of her body, his mind beginning to grow hazy as sweet sounds escape Joey's lips and her breathing grows more rapid. He moves another finger into her, lightly touching her clit with his thumb.

"Pacey..." Joey breathes, pressing herself up against him. "Oh god that feels so good..." Her mind was melting, bright colors flashing before her eyes. Feeling her begin to tighten around him, Pacey's mouth finds her dripping opening, plunging his tongue intimately inside of her body, thrusting in and out of her and rocking her to the core. Her body was pounding like it had in the bathroom, the time before; except this time the excitement was greater, because she knew at any moment his cock would replace his tongue. The realization sent her over the edge and she cried out, locking her thighs against his head as she came. He didn't stop teasing her with his mouth until she had stopped trembling and her muscles had somewhat relaxed.

His mouth found hers again and Joey could taste her own juices on his lips and on his tongue. She was once again surprised that it didn't gross her out but in fact brought her arousal back. They kissed for quite some time, Pacey wanting to give her some time to recover before proceeding. Joey let him know that she didn't want to wait long.

"I have condoms in the top dresser drawer," she whispers between kisses, moving her leg between his legs and purposely rubbing hard against his penis. He goes to the dresser and rifles through her socks and underwear and finds the box. Taking one plastic package out, Pacey comes back to her and stands at the edge of the bed.

"Are you sure about this, Joey? I mean, really, really sure?" Pacey asks, his eyes soft and concerned. Joey smiles, her heart warming at his worries. She takes the condom from his hand and opens it up, hoping to god she remembers how to put it on. She'd had to learn in sex education class but a banana and the actual thing were a bit different, suffice to say.

"I'm sure, Pacey," she assures him, rolling the condom over his penis to make her point. He quivered underneath her touch. "Thanks for asking," she murmurs with a grin, running her hands over his hips. Joey raises herself to a kneeling position and kisses his neck and his chest, reveling in the feel of him. "I love you."

"I love you too," he replies, kissing her softly. They lay back onto the bed together, never breaking each other's gaze. Afraid to hurt her, Pacey eases into her very slowly, watching her eyes for any sign of pain. She bites her lip for a second, closing her eyes, and then he can feel her body loosen up. "You okay?" Pacey asks, staying still for a moment.

"More than okay," Joey tells him. It was more amazing than she imagined. The pain had only lasted for a second and now warmth was spreading through her body like rapid fire. Pacey drew out of her just as slowly before plunging into her again, this time with more ease. Joey fought to keep her eyes open, wanting to be able to look into his eyes, wanting to capture every moment of the experience. She ran her hands down his back, finding his ass and feeling the firm contours of it. Muscles shifted underneath her hands as Joey moves her hands over his amazing body. She loved every inch of him and wanting to feel it all.

Pacey thrust into her again and she groaned in pleasure. He filled her completely, his hardness rhythmically rocking into her body, again and again. He quickened his pace, moving in and out of her harder and less cautiously, realizing that it was what she wanted, what she was ready for. Joey bucked off of the bed as Pacey thrust more deeply, bringing her hips up to meet him and matching his rhythm.

She wraps her long legs around his waist, pulling him more tightly to her. She can sense how careful he’s being, how gentle and concerned he is for her well-being.

“Harder, Pacey,” Joey whispers. “Harder.” Pacey drops to his elbows and thrusts again, able to go inside of her even more deeply as a result of the shift. Joey almost screams as he moves faster, his cock pounding into her very core. Struggling to stop herself from coming, she clutches onto his shoulders for dear life. Her skin, moist with sweat, clings to his.

"Joey, you can let go," Pacey urges her, feeling her tightening around him as he continued to work in and out of her body.

“Not until you do,” Joey counters, mustering a tired but teasing grin, interrupted by a slight scream as Pacey bounces against her again. He laughs, her reply so typical and so Joey that he found her more irresistible than ever before.

“Is that a dare?” Pacey kisses her hard, sliding his tongue into her welcoming mouth and bringing her tongue into his own mouth. Joey pulls her legs more tightly around him and her nails dig into his back. The bed squeaks in their rhythm as their thrusts grow more erratic and forceful, both of them too blinded by pleasure to realize the power and energy they’re exerting and exchanging. Finally Pacey feels Joey’s muscles clamp around him like a vice, her orgasm taking over her body. Her wet warmth surrounds and bathes his cock as he loses control, pumping into her harder than ever and exploding within her. Joey screams out his name as he bursts inside of her body, feeling him quake and throb as she herself begins to shake. Her entire body feels like she is in 200 degree heat and her sight is blurred, colors and light flashing before her eyes. Joey felt scared and shocked and amazed and incredibly pleasured as Pacey pounded into her body one last time and then collapsed against her, breathing heavily. Her breasts crushed against his chest and their bodies rose and fell together as they struggled to recapture the ability to breathe and to speak.

Pacey finally drew himself up on his elbows and looked down into Joey’s deep brown eyes, still glazed with satisfaction. Brushing strands of her hair from her flushed face he gently lays his lips on hers, kissing her gently. He begins to pull out but Joey kisses him harder and pulls him closer. She isn’t ready to lose the sensation of his body locking into hers, fitting as perfectly as two puzzle pieces.

“I love you so much,” Joey says softly, running her hand through his hair as he draws back to look at her. She finds nothing but love and awe in his clear blue eyes and it made her heart swell with happiness.

“I love you more,” Pacey responds. Joey smiles but doesn’t reply. “What, Potter, you’re not going to argue with that?”

“Too tired at the moment. Besides,” Joey lays her hands on his chest and looks up at him with a crooked half-smile, biting her lip. “I have plenty of time to prove you wrong.”

Pacey awoke in darkness, finding his arms empty and his bed even emptier. He sits up, confused. It was three in the morning and still pitch black outside; Joey had fallen asleep in his embrace and now she isn’t even in the room. Worried, Pacey hurriedly climbs out of bed and goes up to the deck.

“Jo?” He switches on the small light by the doorway to the cabin and looks around. “Joey? Are you up here?” He glances around, panicked. “Potter?” Finally her voice comes.

“Over here.” She’s sitting by the railing on the starboard side, gazing up at the stars. Pacey hurries over to her, but slows as he hears her quiet sobbing. He sits down next to her and wraps his arm around her, concerned.

“Jo, what is it? Are you okay?” Pacey asks. She doesn’t respond and instead just lets herself melt into his embrace. “Is it about what happened tonight?”

“Yes. No. In a way,” Joey stumbles, not wanting him to jump to conclusions.

“Do you regret it?” Pacey frowns, trying to hide the hurt in his eyes.

“No, not at all, Pacey. Don’t think that,” Joey quickly replies, caressing his cheek.

“Did I hurt you?” He inquires before giving her a chance to continue. “I didn’t mean to-“

“No, Pace, you were perfect. It was perfect. It was more than I ever…I am so happy about tonight, you have no idea.” Joey locks eyes with Pacey, smiling crookedly and tucking her hair behind her ear. Pacey is bewildered.

“Then why are you out here, all alone at 3 am, crying in the dark?”

Joey turns away from him and looks out at the ocean. In the distance, they can see the coast, streetlights and house lights marking the darkness.

“That.” She tells him, gesturing out toward the coastline.

“Which would be?” Pacey follows her gaze.

“The Massachusetts coast, Pacey. Home. We’re going to be home tomorrow and…and I don’t want to go back. I don’t want this to be over, Pace. And from the second we get off this boat and step back into Capeside, M.A….” Joey blinks away tears, shaking her head.

“Just because we’re going home doesn’t mean things have to change, Joey. Going back and facing Dawson, Andie and everyone else doesn’t mean that I’m going to doubt my feelings for you.”

“I know that, and nothing’s going to change the way I love you either, it’s just…”

“Just…?”

“We go home and things change. This is over. The last three months have been a dream. I don’t want reality when I’ve had a taste of heaven, Pace. Going back to all of the problems and the heartbreak that we left behind isn’t exactly on my list of the top ten things I desire to do.” Joey rubs her eyes and then runs her hands through her hair, frustrated. “I’m scared shitless. I don’t know what to say to them. I don’t know what to say to anybody. I feel terrible for the way things played out and I’m sorry that the cards fell the way they did and I know that Dawson is back home waiting for me to come back and tell him that it was all a big mistake. That going with you was just the last step in making the biggest mistake of my life and that I realized that and I’d come back to him. But I don’t feel that way and I’m never going to feel that way. Going with you on this trip was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made and I will never be sorry for it. I can apologize for hiding our relationship from Dawson, I can apologize for not being the friend that he deserved, but I cannot and will not apologize for loving you because I do not feel that loving you is wrong. And that’s not what he wants to hear. So from where I stand I can see that I don’t have a chance in hell of rebuilding my friendship with Dawson, or even with Andie. And who knows what Jack and Jen have decided over the summer? Who knows if they’ll even want to be our friends anymore? What if we go back and we have no friends and our families are made at us for skipping out last June? What will we do?”

Throughout her endless stream of worries, Pacey had sat next to her, listening intently. She turns to him, her eyes full of tears and wanting him to have the answers for her.

“Joey, Bessie is going to forgive you in a split second for leaving her in June. Don’t even worry about that, okay? And Jack and Jen…they’re not going to simply cut us out of their lives because of something that happened between us. Dawson and Andie…I’m scared to face them too, Joey. But I know Andie. She was trying to accept us when she first found out and she’s not going to turn her back on us now. Dawson…” Pacey trails off, not knowing what to say to calm Joey’s worries.

“Dawson…” Joey repeats, sighing. “Dawson’s Dawson.”

“That he is. And being Dawson, I think it’s safe to say that he needs his closest friends back in his life, while he may not think so right now.” Pacey pauses, pulling Joey close to him and hugging her tightly. “You know what, Joey? I know that things are going to be okay.” Joey cracks a smile through her tears and glances up at him from her place nestled in his arms.

“Psychic, are you?”

“Yes. Yes I am. And Psychic Pacey knows that things will turn out fine because we love each other. You said before that loving each other isn’t wrong and I don’t think that anything that’s as pure and strong as what I feel for you could ever do anything but win. What we have is right, Jo. We’re right.” He kisses her shoulder lightly. “This is right. And right always wins.”

“Over the left?” Joey smirks. “And I think that saying right always wins is quite the over-generalization. I don’t recall right winning in The Empire Strikes Back.”

“You know what amazes me?”

“Enlighten me.”

“Even when you’re in a complete state of emotional turmoil, you are still the biggest smartass in the entire world. I was trying to be honest and reassuring.” Pacey remarks, amused. Joey laughs, snuggling closer to him.

“And incredibly sappy. Don’t forget that,” she adds.

“It got you laughing, didn’t it? I consider it a success.” Joey is silent for a moment, so Pacey nudges her playfully. “Whatcha thinking now?”

“That as sappy and clichéd as that was, it still achieved honest and reassuring,” She kisses his lips and then grins at him, her tears finally stopping. “And no matter what happens after we dock tomorrow…”

“I’ll always love you,” Pacey finishes, returning her kiss with one of his own.

“Actually, I was going to say that I’m keeping your blue Hawaiian shirt, but hey, I guess the love thing works too,” Joey shrugs and pretends not to care one way or the other. Pacey chuckles and stands up, pulling her up with him.

“Potter…” he says, shaking his head in fake exasperation.

“Yeah?”

“Bite me.”