I’ve been going through the joe liebgott tag while rewatching the show and omg I love the stories you write, I was wondering if you would do one where you do something dumb and it ends up turning into a fight and you think he’s gonna leave but he’s like what no of course we aren’t done and it ends up being sweet!
pairing: joe liebgott x reader word count: 1.8k
warnings: mentions of alcohol, drunk!reader, creepy man mentioned, alludes to sex but not rly?
note: i have tried to post this 4 times and it will not let me. here’s to hoping this one works xx, let me know if yall like my new style! <3
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The village sat in the shadow of the Alps, tucked between green hills that looked untouched by the war until you noticed the details.
A roof patched with mismatched shingles where shellfire had torn through it months before. The blackened remains of a barn at the edge of a pasture. Empty window frames staring out over the square from a building that no one had bothered to rebuild yet.
Even so, life had begun to return.
Children chased one another through the streets with the fearless energy only children seemed capable of possessing. Laundry hung from second-story windows, swaying gently in the evening breeze, and somewhere nearby a church bell rang the hour. The smell of fresh bread drifted from the bakery on the corner, mixing with wood smoke and the lingering dampness left behind by an afternoon shower.
It was the first place you’d seen in a long while that looked as though it believed tomorrow would come.
Easy Company had been quartered just outside the village for several days. Long enough to grow familiar with the faces of the people who passed through the square each morning. Long enough for the children to stop staring at the American uniforms and start asking for chocolate instead.
Long enough for the men to become restless.
Winning the war, it turned out, involved an astonishing amount of waiting.
Which was exactly how you ended up where you currently were.
Shit-faced drunk and standing on a table, singing some Austrian song horribly off-key.
The entire pub had become a mess of laughter and cheering. The locals didn’t seem to care that you didn’t know half the words, and Easy Company certainly wasn’t going to stop you.
In fact, they seemed to be enjoying it far too much.
“Jesus Christ,” George Luz laughed from his seat, nearly spilling his drink as he watched you dramatically throw your arms into the air. “She’s gotten worse.”
You stumbled down from the table, nearly giving Babe a heart attack as his arm flung out to catch you. You waved him off with a laugh, heading straight for the bar.
Joe shook his head as he watched you from his place against the wall. Beer in hand, cigarette hanging from his lips.
“You gonna let that continue?” Chuck Grant asked him, Floyd Talbert raising an eyebrow in wonder in Joe’s direction.
Joe shrugged, “What am I supposed to do?”
“Jesus, man,” Floyd laughed, “Aren’t the two of you —“
“Just fucking.” Joe answered plainly.
Grant rolled his eyes, “What a way with words.”
The two of you had been having flings here and there, never really putting a name on it. You’d argue and fight with him all day long, only to find yourself back in his bed that same night.
But that was the problem with you and Joe.
You both knew exactly how to push each other’s buttons.
“I’ll have—” Before you could finish, someone beside you spoke.
A local man sat a few stools down, a friendly smile on his face. He had been watching the Americans all evening, and now his attention was firmly on you.
He nodded toward your glass.
“You like this place?” He asked you.
You shrugged, “It’s nice.”
His eyes flickered over you, curious.
You nodded, “Unfortunately.”
The man laughed, and you laughed too. And from a few feet away, Joe noticed.
Not because you were talking to someone.
He wasn’t that unreasonable.
Because he noticed everything when it came to you.
The way you leaned closer because you couldn’t hear him over the music.
The way you smiled at the attention.
The way you had completely forgotten he was standing there, watching you. Playing that game you two loved to play, who would break first and give in?
Joe looked away, jaw tightening. He listened as Chuck and Floyd continued cracking stupid jokes.
He told himself it wasn’t jealousy. It was annoyance. That was all.
Except a few minutes later, when he glanced back, his expression changed.
The man had moved closer.
And he was speaking quietly now, low enough that nobody else could hear. You looked confused, blinking as you tried to follow the conversation.
Then the man gestured toward the door.
Joe straightened immediately. Because even drunk, you knew better than to leave with someone you’d just met.
Except right now, you were drunk enough that you weren’t thinking clearly.
The man smiled, holding out his hand.
You hesitated. Just for a second.
Joe was already moving, ignoring the questions his friends threw his way.
Both you and the man turned.
Joe stood there, his expression cold.
And for the first time all night, you saw that he wasn’t annoyed.
“Joe?” You questioned, his name a slurred version that he didn’t much care for hearing. Especially from you. “I really don’t feel good.”
“You’re fine.” The man assured you, before Joe could even speak.
“Fuck off.” Joe said, his voice unnervingly calm for his words.
“Excuse me, American?” The man stepped towards Joe, and Easy Company was suddenly on high alert.
“I said fuck off.” Joe said again, “She’s had too much to drink and you know that.”
“She can have fun if she wants.” The man shrugged, causing Joe’s blood pressure to spike.
“I’m not having fun,” You grabbed Joe’s sleeve as if you were a child, “I feel not the best.”
Your words made sense, but very little. You were beginning to look sick, as if you would vomit at any given moment.
“Joe, can we go? Please.” You tugged at him once more, breaking the staring contest he had going between him and the Austrian.
He looked down at you softly, “Yeah. Yeah, we can go.”
As Joe turned with you to take you back to the table and get you out of there, the other man grabbed you rather aggressively.
Spinning you around by your arm, he said, “No no, we are having such a nice time.”
You then proceeded to vomit all over his shoes and the floor.
“Oh.” Luz could be heard from behind you, “Not good.”
The Austrian was furious, but no one could care about any of that as much as they did in getting you out of there.
You leaned into Joe, head spinning and the confusion setting in. You placed your hand over your eyes, everything suddenly becoming too much for you.
“C’mon,” Joe said softly, “Let’s get you cleaned up.”
Ignoring the pissed Austrian shouting at you, Joe led you past him and out of the pub, straight to the house he was currently occupying.
The walk back to the house was quiet. Joe said nothing and you were too nauseous to even try to.
By the time you made it back, you had thrown up another two times. Joe held your hair and patted your back, making sure you were okay before continuing.
“I’m sorry,” You slurred as you sat on the bed, bouncing slightly.
Joe’s response made you tear up. He hadn’t even realized you were crying until he looked at you.
“Hey,” Joe shushed you, “Don’t cry.”
“I’m so stupid.” You cried, trying to wipe your eyes with the backs of your hands.
Joe sighed, sitting beside of you and pulling you into his chest. Rubbing your hair, he said, “You just do things sometimes that make me worry. I can’t stand it.”
“I make you worry?” You sniffled, sounding pathetic. You felt it, too.
“All the time.” You felt him nod, “Drives me insane.”
You giggled a little at that, “I don’t want you to hate me, Lieb.”
“Hey,” He pulled back to look at you, wiping your tears with his thumbs, “I could never hate you.”
“So…” You pause, biting your lip and trying to regain what sense you felt you had left, “This isn’t…”
“This isn’t…?” Joe urged you to continue.
“This isn’t over?” Your voice was small, far away from you.
“What?” Joe stared at you as if you had grown two heads, “Because you got drunk and let another man hit on you?”
“Thought you didn’t care about that.” You narrow your eyes, trying to seem intimidating and failing miserably. You just looked drunk.
“I do.” It was Joe’s turn to be quiet. “I know you won’t remember this conversation, so I’ll remind you again tomorrow. But I do care. So fucking much. I honestly can’t do this friends with benefits or whatever the fuck this is.”
He continues, “I want to be with you. I don’t want to worry about you and not be able to do anything about it.”
You smile, tears running down your face again at his words.
“I’d like that.” You yawn, “I’m disgusting right now.”
“True.” Joe laughed, “Let’s get you changed and in the bed.”
Joe was right about you not remembering much the next day.
You had to relieve your previous events through Easy Company’s retelling of it.
“You threw up all over that man.” Luz roared with laughter, “You didn’t give a shit, either.”
“Oh my God.” You covered your red face with your hands, “I am so embarrassed.”
“Leave her alone.” It was Joe who cut in, surprising you.
“Joe?” You questioned. Luz suddenly found the table in front of him very entertaining.
“Come on.” Joe said, and you apologized to Luz who mumbled a ‘don’t worry about it,’ and you followed Joe away from everyone.
As Joe recounted his version of events from last night, you felt the memory of him confessing to you trying its hardest to make itself known.
“I see,” You spoke once he was finished, “So I didn’t imagine the cuddling last night?”
Joe’s face flushed, “No. You didn’t.”
“Man, are you blushing?!” Luz yelled as he walked past the two of you, laughing loudly.
You laughed at Joe, stepping closer to him, “I’d very much appreciate it if we were official.”
“I think I can let that slide.” Joe smirked, wrapping his hands around your waist.
You leaned up, pressing your lips to his. Not sexually as all of the other times had only ever been, but in a romantic way. A way you had been craving since the first time you had a taste of Joe Liebgott. He kissed you back, and you could feel the smile on his lips as he kissed you.
You were definitely never drinking that much again, but you were glad that it gave you exactly what you wanted.
