Fate of Ophelia || Joe Santagato x Reader
"Run that shit by me again?" Frank laughs hysterically, "what the hell is that supposed to mean?!"
"Oh you know! You...!" Joe points to his best friend, tripping over his words as per usual.
"Aht!" You point to Joe, he quickly puts his hand down, "NO! THAT'S ANOTHER ONE FOR YOU. Ant, put 'em down!" And lifts his pen in approval, writing down Joey's fifth point during the recording.
Frank smacks the table in fits of laughter, tears rolling down his cheeks as he struggles to catch his breath.
"What? 'm I fucken' dog now?!" Joe mocks, "put 'em downnn!"
"Might as well be since you hump on everything that has a pulse"
"Screw you!" Joe shakes his head, cheeks as red as a beet, "For the record—" he holds his mic closer while addressing the camera on his end, bursting out in a fit of giggles unable to get another sentence out.
"That's a pretty long fucking record keep that in mind." You spat out.
"Jesus—" Ant chuckles from across the room, "you're on a roll."
"Moving on." Frank clears his throat from laughter.
"No 'cos I wanna know what the hell her answers would've been." Joe glares at you jokingly, "Who would you rather kiss, marry, kill?"
"You fucking interrupted me answering that, saying Frank would be a terrible choice for a husband!"
"Which by the way—bitch, fuck you. I am a GREAT husband and an even better lover." Frank says towards Joe. You laugh again before responding.
"Alright alright." You sigh before pointing to Ant, "Kiss" then to Frank, "Marry—BECCAILOVEYOUDONTKILLME" You giggle in to your mic, then proceed to point at Joe, "Kill."
"WHY KILL ME?!"
"Well I'm not killing Ant."
"You've known me longer?" Joe signs between the both of you, "HELLO?!"
"Still not killing Ant."
"I'd kiss you" Frank interrupts leaving the room in a brief silence before everyone falls in to another fit of laughter.
"Frankie! That wasn't even on the table!" Joe laughs. You push your mic away to keep from hurting Ant's ears from the high vocals that escape your throat.
"We all know you'd kiss him, Frankie."
"The whole internet is just waiting for that to happen." Joe wipes his teary eyes, "oh fuck."
"Let's not keep them waiting." Frank bites the tip of his finger seductively, a growl rumbling from his chest.
"And wait they shall 'cos nope. That ain't happening." Joe responds, "alright well, that's all for this one."
"Awww no!" Frank whines like a child. You snicker at his adorable antics as Joe talks over him.
The recording comes to an end, leaving you to fan yourself once the camera is turned off. New York's summer heat is no joke and being cooped up in a warehouse where the air vents are basically nonexistent was dreadful during this time of year.
"Water?"
"Please" you stand up from your seat, taking off your jacket in the process. Joe presses a cold water bottle to the side of your neck, either to help cool you off or as a playful coy. The wet condensation from the cold water pooled at the neckline of your shirt making you shiver from the sudden sensation, you quickly snatch the bottle from his hand, "You dick."
"Love it when you talk dirty to me." He smirks, "you coming over later?"
"Depends, for?"
"There's gotta be a reason?" You playfully roll your eyes. He chuckles, "Figured you would be considering you've been coming over a lot more as of late."
"Yeah well..you know the reason why I couldn't before." Your smile slightly fades at the words that left your lips. Having been in a controlling relationship drove a wedge between the friendship you shared with the boys. At times, you were solely able to see them during work hours and even then, it always turned in to an argument. Missing out on their big achievements like sold out shows worldwide, you only attended the shows nearby even though you were apart of TBY and was given the chance to travel around the world with your closest friends—you couldn't bring yourself to let go of what was killing your career, your confidence and self esteem.
But now? You were putting yourself first. What once was broken can, always be mended.
Joe scratches the back of his head, "Yeah. I know."
Staring down at the water bottle, you trace its ridges, wiping away the condensation from the heat radiating off your palm. He could sense the tension of the conversation pulling you away back in to your shell of what could only be described as a dark, lonely place.
Without a second thought, Joe's arms act on their own, pulling you in to an embrace that leaves you dumbfounded. He wasn't too keen on fundamental forms of physical intimacy, he's no Frank when it comes to this kind of affection but it felt natural to him. It felt right.
His arms hugged at your shoulders which restricted your movement but you manage to lightly touch his back in a comforting manner. You weren't entirely sure if this hug was for you or him but it was nice nonetheless. The tension in his body softens as the hug became less forced and fell in to more of a relief. He cupped the back of your head, stroking your hair with his thumb.
"Sorry I'm..pretty bad at this."
You chuckle against his shoulder, shaking your head as you tuck it in to the nook of his arm, "It's okay, Joey."
Feeling his heart squeeze at the way you say his name, he mentally took note of the way your hands grip at his shirt like you weren't ready for this moment to end. And secretly, he didn't want it to either. So when you're the first to let go, he does his best to ignore the empty warmth of your body no longer pressed against his.
Wiping away the stray tears you weren't aware that accumulated in your waterline, you smile softly, "Thank you."
He forces a half smile, "don't mention it."
Opening the water bottle, you chug the cool water in attempt to swallow any sorrow. His eyes watch as the water drips from the corner of your mouth down to your jaw. Shifting uncomfortably in his jeans, he looks away to the old basketball hoop that hung in the warehouse. He knew he looked like a doofus staring off in to space but he couldn't stare at you for too long in any circumstance cause it was the same outcome every time. Even back then, not a single thing has changed. God, he felt like a horny teenager all over again.
"Joey!"
Oh thank god.
"We still hitting up that bar?" Frank asks, closing in on the both of you. He tilted his head once he notices your glossy eyes, "woah, everything alright?"
"Yeah, of course." You smile widely, "what's this bar and why the hell wasn't I invited?"
"Oh! Well Joe and I were heading to this little hole in the wall we found a few weeks ago. Wanna come?"
"Sure. I can use a beer. I'm gonna hit the restroom and we can go, yeah?"
"That's our girl." Frank smiles watching you walk out of the set up. Joe quickly side eyes him once you were out of sight.
"Our?" He questions.
"you know what I meant, asshole." Frank smirks, "Or should I say 'your' girl?"
"Shut up." Joe scoffs, "it's not like that."
"Ohhh but you want it to be."
"No, I don't."
Frank teases him, "Hmm. Alright well I guess I'll have to let her down easy then."
"What?" Joe's attention snaps to him, "Did she say something?"
Frank laughs at his friend, pointing at the way his facial expression went from nonchalant to worry in the matter of seconds, "Dude, you're STILL in to her, admit it!"
"You're a pain in the ass, Frank ya know that?"
.
.
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There are no Joe Santagato fics out there and if there are—they’re outdated and unfinished lol. So, here ya go to any TBY fans. Want to read more? This story is going to continue on Wattpad! Follow me on Wattpad for more! @ deadlypxison
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