Feel

The doorbell rang as Amy was halfway through the doorway to the kitchen, and she wondered who would be knocking on her door just after supper time. Paul and Elizabeth were out for the evening; Paul had a rare night off, and Amy had offered to babysit right away so the couple could have some alone time.

"Jake, go help your sister pick out a movie," Amy instructed. The little boy nodded and scurried off into the living room as Amy headed for the door. She yawned as she did so; she'd stayed up late a lot recently looking for jobs. It was discouraging, but she needed to work somewhere.

She reached the door, and pulled it open to reveal the butterfly-inducing face of none other than James Neal.

"Hey," he smiled.

Amy took in his appearance. He was wearing grey sweatpants and a black Penguins hoodie. His hair was stuck up all over the place, as usual, and - as usual - Amy found it a little harder to breathe in his presence.

"Your brother said you might like some company."

Of course he did. Amy felt her face grow hot and she turned, hiding her face as she let him in. "Sure, yeah."

"Where are the brats?" James asked with a grin, slipping his hands into his pockets.

Amy laughed. "Picking out a movie to watch later," she explained. "They'll be stoked Uncle James is here." She threw a smile in his direction as they headed into the living room. "Abs, Jake, look who's here!"

The two children turned from the pile of movies they had gathered on the floor and their faces immediately lit up. They scrambled up and Amy watched as they nearly crashed into James.

"Uncle Jay!" Abby exclaimed.

"Hey!" James reached down to pick her up, using his free hand to pull Jacob into his side for a somewhat hug - considering James was about three times Jacob's size.

"Why are you here?" Abby asked enthusiastically.

James glanced over at Amy before turning back to the little girl. "I'm here to help Aunt Amy take care of you trouble makers."

As Abby giggled, Jacob returned to the mess of movies on the floor. It appeared the two had yanked prospective movies from the shelf onto the ground.

James set Abby down so she could finish helping her brother pick a movie.

"Rough night?" He asked, turning to Amy. Amy shook her head, her eyes lingering on the children.

"No, not really," she replied honestly. "They're great kids." James nodded, and they both watched Jacob and Abby for a moment in silence, before Amy headed for the couch. To her pleasant surprise, James sat next to her, and she felt herself smile.

***

Amy shifted, her hand grabbing a handful of the blanket beside her. She cuddled in closer to the pillow, and sighed. It seemed only a few moments later that someone was gently shaking her, and she slowly opened her eyes.

The first thing she saw was the end credits of the movie rolling down the tv screen. Then she realized that there was an arm around her, that her "pillow" was actually a chest, and that her "blanket" was the fabric of James' sweatshirt.

"I'm sorry," she said quickly, flustered, as she pushed herself up into proper seated position.

James shook his head. "I don't mind at all." She noticed that he didn't remove his arm from around her. She glanced around, seeing no sign of the kids. "They're putting on their pj's," James explained. Amy turned her head to look up at him. He was looking down at her, and Amy felt her stomach go wild as he continued to hold her gaze. Her heart was pounding, but the moment was ruined by the sound of feet running down the stairs, and the two pulled apart.

Amy was met with disapproving looks from both children as they entered the room. Amy tried to keep her composure as she asked, "What?"

"You slept during Tangled!" Abby accused.

"We wanted to wake you but Uncle James wouldn't let us," Jacob chimed in.

Amy felt her cheeks heat up. "We watch Tangled all the time. I almost know it by heart," she protested, changing the subject.

Abby crossed her arms. "Next time you'll stay awake. Promise?"

Amy sighed and nodded. "Promise."

After tucking the kids into bed, Amy headed downstairs to the front foyer, where James was pulling on his shoes.

"All good?"

Amy stood by the wall, her arms crossed as she nodded. "They were tired. They'll be asleep in no time."

James looked up and smiled. He looked at her for a moment, as if he wanted to say something, before he opened the door. Amy stepped forward to hold it open for him. She leaned her back against the open door, while James leaned against the doorframe across from her.

"Tonight was fun."

Amy nodded, smiling back. "It was," she affirmed. "Thanks for coming."

James nodded. He met her eyes for a long moment before his gaze drifted to her lips. Amy's heart missed a beat as she felt the air around them fill with tension. Her throat became dry, and her breathing grew shallow, as his blue eyes lifted to hers once more. After another second of intense gazing, James stepped forward.

He lifted a hand and took a small bit of material from the front of Amy's shirt between his fingers.

"I like your shirt."

Amy looked down, and felt her cheeks heat up. She had forgotten, and he hadn't mentioned until now; she was wearing the shirt she had worn home the other day. James' shirt.

She didn't know what to say, and so she remained silent. She felt like an idiot.

"It looks good on you."

Amy finally looked up when he spoke. The grin on his face made her stomach flutter. The butterflies began to thrash around even more as James' hand moved to her waist. He pulled her closer, and his smile faded a bit. Amy's gaze was immediately focused on James' lips, and his did the same with hers. She could hardly breathe. Was this actually going to happen? Was this finally going to happen?

Their faces neared one another slowly. Amy could feel his breath on her cheek, and her entire body felt like it was on fire. His hand on her waist was warm through her shirt.

All of a sudden, the glare of bright light made them jump apart, startled. The headlights of a car approaching were near blinding, until the vehicle pulled into the driveway and shut off. James' hand had long since left Amy's waist, and they both stood there awkwardly as Paul and Elizabeth got out of the car.

"Nealer! I see you took my advice." Paul grinned as he locked the door behind him. James nodded.

"I was just headed out," he replied, and Amy wondered how he could sound so calm. He headed down the steps, and Amy watched his retreating figure. She wondered what he was thinking. Did he regret what had almost happened?