Jim's Best Friend: The Office AU

The Website Solution

May, 2007.

Jim had been in a state of turmoil for the past few weeks, and he wasn't quite sure what to do about it. He had come clean to Karen about the kiss with Y/N about a week after it happened, which set off a chain reaction in the office of bad blood between Karen and Y/N. The whole building had begun to take sides, and it had split Jim from his best friends, in support of his girlfriend. About a fortnight later, Y/N was done with it all, and she moved through to the annex under the pretence that her constant Spanish and French distracted the sales team, which she was a part of. Y/N had left him voicemails too, apologising for what happened, and not just to Jim. Karen has received a few, and while they appeared civil on the surface, there was war brewing beneath the surface.

The girlfriend or the best friend?
The new or old coworker?
Karen or Y/N?

And Jim was in the middle of it all. He would have discussed it with Pam, but she was another talking point with Karen, how he used to have feelings for her back in the day. Karen had asked him to refrain from spending time with both of them. Jim was doing his best to comply, seeing it as only fair.

And yet, as Phyllis' wedding rolled ever closer, and the day came for the bachelor and bachelorette parties, Jim still couldn't get Y/N's kiss out of his head. The way her lips felt on his was something he hadn't experienced with the other women he dated, and he couldn't figure out why. He was happy with Karen, she was great, but Y/N kissed him like it was the last chance she would get, and he didn't want it to stop.

Maybe she was right to kiss him like that.

"Gentlemen, reminder we are in the warehouse from 2.30 to 3.15." Michael called from his office, the clock on the far side of the room reading 11.42. Jim sat at his desk, delaying his orders to find a male stripper for the ladies luncheon shower as long as he possibly could. Karen and Pam were helping Angela organise it all in the conference room, and with Dwight so very invested in finding a lady stripper on Michael's request, Jim really didn't have much to do. Except work.

He wasn't going to be doing that.

He let out a yawn, rubbing his eyes to try and stay awake. He and Karen has been having long talks every night for at least a week, and Jim was running on empty in the sleep department. But, it kept his girlfriend happy, and that meant he was happy. Tired, but happy.

—

"Something's up with Jim and Karen." Pam reported you the camera crew." Not that I've been eavesdropping. It's not really any of my business. But... I've gotten pretty good at reading the back of Jim's neck, and after what Y/N told me... I think I knew what's been happening." She smiled a little, in the way that just said 'what can you do?', before looking out the window at Jim, who yawned again.

—

"Halpert!" An all too familiar voice called out, Todd Packer walking through the door. "Tall, queer, handsome as ever. Hi everybody, it's me, Jim." Todd did his best to intimidate Jim as a gay man, being met with zero laughs. He looked over Karen, who stood by Jim's desk, and sauntered over to her hips first. "Hello, hello. Todd Packer. And who might you be?"

"Karen Filipelli, Jim's girlfriend." She introduced herself, and Todd guffawed.

"Really? This guy?!" He made sure, and Karen nodded, taking Jim's hand. Before Todd could continue on that streak, Michael appeared from his office.

"Packer!" Michael yelled, giving him a bear hug, Todd pulling away quickly.

"Need a coffee, Mike. Back in a few." Todd promised, making his way to the annex. He stopped in the kitchen for a second, hearing bizarre muffled conversation, and he walked through to the break room to find Y/N pacing back and forth.