Author's note:
This story is based on Parks and Recreations and this set during Season 4.
*
Ann Perkins didn't know where to begin. No, that wasn't true. She knew exactly where to begin, but she had no idea how to explain half the things she had done, why she had allowed the whole thing to go so far and get so out of hand. Most of all Ann wasn't sure how to explain that despite everything she wasn't sorry.
That selfish thought caused her to blush, but it also led to her finally looking up into the camera and softly murmuring, "I... I just wanted her to like me."
*
The her in question was April Ludgate, the 22-year-old assistant who just might be the most terrifying person Ann had ever met. But it was ridiculous to be afraid of a stick of a girl almost half her age so Ann refused to be intimidated by the young girl's icy stare. She also, for the most part, refused to stoop to the type of childish insults April constantly sent her way. She was after all the mature adult between them. And sometimes maybe the only mature adult in the Parks and Recreations department.
Not that she didn't love everybody else, they were great. Well, for the most part, but... she was getting off topic. The point was that for whatever reason April had decided she didn't like her and Ann was going to change that if it killed her. She didn't care what it took, she would make April Ludgate like her, or at least get a smile out of the infuriating girl.
So when April stomped into her office one cold winter's day, dropped a butt load of files on her desk and mumbled something insulting Ann quickly slipped out of her desk, moved round and hugged the other brunette before she could get away. Which probably seemed random to anybody passing her office door, but as she had explained to that documentary crew always following the department around this was simply her latest planned to get past April's icy exterior.
Her exact words had been, "I have tried just about everything I can think of to get April to like me, and nothings worked, so now I'm just going to hug her every chance I get."
Admittedly it was a terrible plan, maybe her worst ever, but Ann was totally out of ideas and honestly it kind of felt good to hug April. It allowed Ann to tell herself she was making progress, simply based on the fact that April hadn't shoved her off or threatened her with physical violence, which was actually kind of surprising. Sure April didn't hug back, and tensed up every time Ann moved towards her and stayed like that throughout each embrace, but it still felt like progress. And honestly, Ann found she just liked hugging April for some reason.
"Thanks for the files April." Ann sighed as she was just about to let go of the younger brunette.
At that moment April suddenly pressed her nose to her neck and inhaled deeply. Ann froze and for a couple of seconds she tried to think what the hell April was doing, then she figured it out and frowned angrily. Of course April was trying to scare her off. Why wouldn't she? In fact Ann was surprised it had taken her this long to try. Well it wasn't going to work, not this time, Ann thought determinedly as she tightened the hug in a rare sign of immaturity.
She was going to let go shortly afterwards because honestly this was getting weird, but then April brought her hands up to rest against her back and for a few seconds Ann foolishly thought the other brunette was going to start hugging her back. Then April started gently rubbing her back and Ann saw red again and began hugging the scary girl even harder.
Then April grabbed her butt and Ann was forced to pull away a little and softly yell in frustration, "What is your problem?"
April shrugged and in her normal monotone voice replied, "You're the one being weird."
"No I'm not, you are!" Ann childishly shot back before she gave a long sigh of frustration and then asked, "Why don't you like me?"
Instead of once again insulting her or listing off a bunch of flimsy/mostly expired reasons April just stared at her with that patented blank stare for a few long seconds, then she did something Ann could have never expected and something which would change things between them forever.
April kissed her.
April lent forward and kissed her right on the mouth. April Ludgate pressed her lips against hers causing Ann to tense up, their roles being completely reversed as the older brunette became like a statue while the younger one moved her hand so she was holding her almost tenderly during the surprisingly soft brush of lips on lips.
Ann wasn't sure what happened next. It was like she blanked out for a while, her mind completely unable to process what was happening. Then all of a sudden April pulled away and just stared at her blankly again, Ann feeling overwhelmed by what had just happened and even more so by a sense of disappointment. She... she was overwhelmingly disappointed that April had stopped kissing her.
Before she could even begin processing that Ann was filled with even more disappointment as April disentangled herself from the now loose grip she had around her and scurried towards the door. Then to Ann's surprise April closed and locked her office door and then casually closed the blinds like it was nothing out of the ordinary. Then the 22-year-old turned back to her and smiled.