han .☘︎ ݁˖༘⋆

you were sprawled across maya’s sofa in her apartment, trying (and failing) to bounce ideas for new songs off of each other. maya was going through the video folder of her camera roll looking for videos of any rough drafts she’d been playing around with while on set a few months ago, airplaying it to the tv in front of you. then that video of joe came up.

he was in the middle of a living room, probably someone from the cast’s house, guitar resting across his chest, strap stretched over his shoulder. he was playing a familiar chord progression, one you recognized from his new album, and he was swaying around in a circle, like he was retracing his steps over and over with his bare feet against the rug. his voice drifted over the guitar softly, in a tone different from what you’ve heard in his recordings. this was more pure, unpolished. you loved it.

maya grinned as she recognized the video. “oh yeah! this was when joe just started writing potion! you love that song right?”

it was true. it was your favorite on his new album, that you had admitted to before. you nod and smile vaguely, eyes taking in the man swaying on the screen as he sang. “yeah. it’s a good one.”

-

two weeks later, you met joe face to face.

one of the recording studios in brooklyn you frequented was throwing an anniversary party and despite wanting nothing more than to spend the night holed up in your apartment, you were convinced to go.

after about forty five minutes of pleasantries and sipping lukewarm beer, you press yourself to the wall and take up post watching the crowd. forty five more minutes, you tell yourself. just make it to an hour and a half. you scanned the crowd again with a frown. okay, maybe just fifteen minutes more.

“hey! there you are!” the sound of maya’s voice cut through the chatter and music. “hey, i have someone for you to meet.”

you glance up just as your friend was tugging a familiar shaggy brunette from behind her back. his doe eyes stare down at you widely before they turn into crescent moons, wrinkles forming around them as he smiles widely.

“hey! we’re finally meeting!” joe exclaims, his arms shooting out to make emphasis. you smile back at him, your heart doing a little flip for some reason you chose to ignore.

“joe, hey!” you match what you could of his enthusiasm as he reaches forward to pull you into a hug. you try to not let it show how much it caught you off guard, but by the look on maya’s face you catch over joe’s shoulder, you didn’t do much of a good job.

“great, okay! you guys talk and we’ll catch up with you later!” maya rushes in a hurry to leave the two of you alone. her hand slips around the arm of her fiancée, christian, who could only shoot you a look of sympathy before he was pulled away.

“not a huge fan of things like this?” joe asks as he leans against the wall next to you, still smiling. you shake your head.

“sometimes it’s just… exhausting.” you surprise yourself. usually, you play it off. shake your head and say that you enjoy it. but something about joe has you letting your guard down before you even realize it.

he nods before finishing off his beer, setting the bottle down on a nearby table. “we should get out of here.”

you look up at him in surprise, eyebrows raising. “and do what exactly?”

there was no way this was seriously happening. joe, who you’d formerly known for less than five minutes, is trying to leave the party with you.

“yeah, i mean, to be honest i only came out of obligation. i showed my face, so… plus i’m kinda hungry, they totally don’t have anything good here.”

you look around at the cocktail hour type snacks being passed around and snort. as if on command, your stomach growls. and before you could think twice or talk yourself out of it, you’re giving joe a smile and nod.

“lead the way.”

-

now you’re walking around with my heart on your sleeve and i am right here, bleeding

you ended up at a bodega down the block, sitting on the curb outside eating deli sandwiches and talking about whatever came to mind. joe tells you about his upcoming tour and you tell him about how you’re starting to write for your next album. the conversation just drifts and flows naturally. you talk about home and he tells you about each of his sisters and his summer’s on the beach. if feels more like a conversation between two old friends rather than two new.

you don’t know how long you sit there talking, but by the time joe is standing up and offering you a hand, your eyes are heavy and your butt had gone numb.

“what time is it?” you ask as you accept his hand and dust off your pants.

“it may or may not be almost midnight.”

“christ.” you say with a yawn.

“where do you live? i’m about twenty minutes that way.” joe says, gesturing over your shoulder.

“i’m the opposite direction. i can take the train.”

“no it’s late. i can get you a cab.” joe insists, reaching into his pocket. before you can object, he’s on his phone getting you a ride.

“i’m perfectly capable of getting home. i’m a big girl.” you say, crossing your arms over your chest. joe smiles down at you softly.

“i know.”

that feeling in your chest from earlier in the night returns. the fluttering, leaping feeling in your heart. once he’s done finding you a ride, you pluck his phone from his hands.

“hey! you better not be canceling that.” he says, trying without much effort to grab it back. you hold it away from him, typing away on his screen. when you hand him back his phone, a new contact page sits open on the screen with your name and number. joe looks at it before he breaks out into a smile.

“so you can let me know you make it home. and send me that recipe you mentioned.” you say with a shrug as your cab pulls up behind you. you take a step backwards towards it and joe snaps out of his daze.

“i’ll do you one better. i’ll cook it for you. my place tomorrow night?” he asks hopefully, watching as you open the cab door. you smile back at him and nod.

“sounds like a date.”

joe is texting you before you even make it home.

-

the next night arrives slower than you’d like, and you’d never admit that you spent the whole day checking the clock, wishing away the minutes until it was time for you to go to joe’s. you’d even gotten ready entirely too early and got to the train station with enough time to spare that you were restless.

when you arrived at joe’s building, you were ten minutes early. you lingered around in the hall outside his door, debating whether or not you should just knock on the door. you cursed yourself for leaving too early.

then the door opened and joe stepped out, trash bag in hand. you freeze your pacing and joe halts in the door way, mouth forming an ‘o’ at the sight of you.

“sorry, i just- i’m early and didn’t wanna like-“

“no, no it’s okay! i’m glad you’re here! sorry, i was just taking the trash out real quick.” joe says, gesturing to the trash chute at the end of the hall. you nod and trail behind him as he walks down and dumps the bag down the chute.

“c’mon.” he says as he turns back to you and guides you towards his door, hand resting low on your back. you follow his inside his apartment and are immediately met with the smell of chicken parmesan and sandalwood.

“dinner’s almost done. make yourself comfortable.” joe says, squeezing around you and into the kitchen. you set your bag down and toe off your shoes by the door as you look around. the apartment was so joe. it was warm and cozy but still tidy. he had pictures on shelves of his sisters and nieces and an extensive collection of vhs tapes and vinyls on the wall.

you follow him into the kitchen where he has thrown a rag over his shoulder as he checks the pan of chicken in the oven. he straightens up and closes the door, resetting the timer on the stove top for a couple more minutes before turning to you.

“you want a drink?” you nod and joe pours you a glass of wine. you smile to yourself, thinking of him pulling out all the stops. when you realize he’s holding the glass out to you, you snap away from your thoughts and thank him. joe watches as you take a small sip with a fond smile on his face. you notice and lean against the counter, peering down into your wine glass.

“what?”

“nothing. you just look very beautiful tonight, that’s all.” joe says simply before turning back to the stove. it catches you off guard, how casually and genuinely he says it. like it’s pure fact in his mind, not him blowing smoke up your ass. the warm fluttering in your chest expands to your stomach now. damn butterflies.

both of you lose track of time that night. you eat dinner and talk about your days. joe tells you about his trip to the grocery store and the squash he swears was shaped like a weenie dog. you tell him about how you deep cleaned your apartment because you had writer’s block and the old lady in the apartment next door complaining about your “grumpy face” when you were getting your mail.

after dinner, you drifted into the living room to the corner where joe had all his music equipment set up. you sat cross legged, knees touching, as he played you random snippets of things that didn’t make it to his album and his plans for a deluxe release.

“you’re brain is incredible.” you murmur at one point, causing joe to snort.

“thank you. i think?”

“i just mean, god you’re so talented.” you could’ve sworn you saw joe’s cheeks turn a shade of pink.

“thank you. it means a lot coming from you. i’m a huge fan.” he replies earnestly, ducking his head down to hide his blush.

“oh yeah? same here.”

joe looks up and meets your gaze with a wide grin. “yeah?”

you smile and nod. “yeah.”

-

so you followed me home, like you’d done it before

and you and to bend over to get through the door

by the end of the night, you feel like you’re floating. you had reluctantly checked the time around a quarter past ten and let out a groan. it was late and you should be heading home, but you didn’t want the night to end. in fact, you were actively racking your brain for any excuse to be around joe longer. little did you know, he was doing the same.

“do you mind if i walk you home?”

“you wanna walk me home from your apartment then have to walk all the way back here?”

“it would be my greatest pleasure.” you don’t know if it’s the smile joe gives you as he says that or if it’s your unwillingness to end the night, maybe it’s a combination of both, but you find yourself agreeing.

which is how you found yourself brushing shoulders and hands with joe as the two of you wandered down the sidewalk in the direction of your apartment. you listen to him tell bizarre stories from his time on set and he makes you laugh so effortlessly.

you almost feel like you have déjà vu, like you been here before with him because it feels so natural. he lets you lead the way but still stays directly at your side, never staying more than an inch apart from you. he follows your footsteps like it’s second nature. and maybe he’s feeling the same way too. that this feels natural. that it just feels right.

it feels even more natural when joe kisses you at your doorstep, holding your face so gently in between his hands. it feels natural as he retreats back down your hall, walking backwards towards the elevator so he never has to break eye contact. it feels natural when he shoots you a smile and a promise to text you before the doors shut in front of him. it feels natural when his name appears less than five minutes later on your lockscreen.

joe: just saw the cutest dog at the end of your block

joe: thought of you

you smile to yourself then type back, starting a stream of texts that last until both of you inevitably fall asleep later that night.

-

if you told yourself a month ago that it would only take that amount of time to meet and fall in love with joe keery, you’d think you’d lost every last remaining marble.

yet here you are, sitting on the edge of his bed watching as he fixes his hair for the millionth time in the mirror, utterly in love. not that he knew that. you haven’t told him yet. and really, you were scared to even admit it to yourself. because despite craving that intimacy with someone, you’ve been burned in the past, something that’s left you cynical, as your friends liked to joke.

speaking of, that is exactly who you were getting ready to meet up with. your two closest friends. the ones who know you inside and out, better than anyone. though, you suspect joe is on his way to give them a run for their money on that front.

“joe, your hair looks good. stop touching it.” you say in attempt to get him to stop. you knew he was nervous, but any longer spent in front of the mirror was going to make you guys late.

“i’m just trying to make sure i don’t look like a mess.” he mumbles, meeting your eyes in the mirror. you snort as you slide off the bed and join him at his side.

“you don’t like like a mess. you’re being dramatic.”

his hands effortlessly find your hips like second nature. “i just wanna make a good impression.”

“joe, you’ll be fine. it’s just dinner. and they’re my best friends. i know they will like you and you’ll like them.”

“and what if that doesn’t happen?” he asks dramatically. you shrug.

“well, i guess i’ll have to kill them.”

“baby,” joe laughs, squeezing your hips.

“but i won’t have to. i have a knack for these kinds of things.”

and you were right, for the record. it’s no surprise, really, given how naturally charming joe is on his own. but to say he hit it off with your friends immediately would be an understatement.

you couldn’t help but space out during dinner while joe told stories and made banter with your friends across the table. your gaze was glued to the side of his face most of the night. counting his freckles and moles, watching the smile lines form around his eyes every time he laughed. he fit in so naturally here. with you. with your friends. so much that you smile to yourself and shake your head.

yeah, you thought, i do love him.

-

now i sleep in your shirts and you live in my house

you sing in the shower and i talk to myself

we’ve got stars on the ceiling and clothes on the floor

you moved around your kitchen like clockwork. putting the kettle of water over the fire, grabbing two mugs from the cabinet. each mug getting a tea bag, peppermint for you, chamomile for joe. a spoon of honey in each. you lean against the counter brushing your fingers through your hair still damp from the shower. it darkens the fabric of joe’s shirt that hangs off your body where it rests around your shoulders.

even from all the way in the kitchen, you could still hear joe’s voice coming from the bathroom down the hall. he singing the same paul simon song he’s had stuck in his head and has been singing all day around the apartment. it makes you smile as you pour boiling water into each mug.

your stir the teas before grabbing each handle and slipping out the kitchen, catching the light switch with your knuckle on the way out. you make your way down the hall to your room, passing the crackled bathroom door as you do. the steam that creeps out warms your feet and legs briefly in passing.

when you enter the bedroom, you set joe’s tea down on his side of the bed. it was his favorite mug, the one he’d been gravitating towards for months. a faded garfield mug with a chip on the rim you found a few years back at a goodwill. it’s now been unofficially made his mug.

you round the bed, almost tripping over a pair of sweatpants laying in a bunch by the foot of the bed. you curse under your breath and set your own mug down before moving to tidy up. it was a mix of both your and joe’s clothes haphazardly tossed on the floor after a few days. you gathered them up and tossed them into the hamper in the corner, smiling subconsciously at the thought of both of your clothes mixing together in the same load of laundry.

because it didn’t matter. joe practically lived in your apartment now after the six months you’d been together. at some point around the third month mark, he stopped packing an overnight bag and ended up with his own drawer. which eventually turned into two. which evolved into a section of your closet.

now there were traces of joe in every corner of every room. his guitar propped next to yours in the living room. multiple pairs of his shoes lining the shoe rack with yours by the front door. the bin of his hats on the floor of the closet. his toothbrush in the holder next to yours.

the water cut off in the bathroom and a few moments later joe is slipping into the bedroom, rubbing a towel roughly over his hair. he tosses it into the hamper and joins you as you climb into bed. you both prop up against the headboard and joe loops his arm around your shoulders, pulling you into his bare chest.

“missed you.” he says as he presses a kiss to your temple before reaching for his mug.

“you were just in the shower.”

“so? i still missed ya.”

“ridiculous.” you snort into your own mug. joe smiles and squeezes you closer.

his gaze drifts up to the ceiling and over the little glowing stars you have stuck to the ceiling. the first time he laid in your bed and saw them, he teased you for it. then you explained how you used to have them in your childhood room and how you like them here because you can’t see the stars in the city. now, it’s joe’s favorite part of your room.

now, he dreads having to fall asleep under a starless ceiling.

and a thing in a box i don’t fuck anymore

when joe officially moved in, you had to sacrifice one of your nightstands. which was fine, really. the one on his side of the bed was just clutter and extra stuff that didn’t have a spot that could probably be gotten rid of.

joe was sitting cross legged on the side of the bed, emptying out the bottom drawer of your stuff, mainly old chargers and notebooks, to make way for his things. that’s when he spots it.

the plain box tucked away in the back of the drawer, forgotten under the rest of the clutter. he reaches for it and almost set it aside, but curiosity got the better of him. he lifted the lid up and giggled at the sight.

“hey, honey?” he calls out. seconds later, your footsteps come softly down the hall and you’re peaking your head in.

“yeah?” you ask, but freeze when you see what he’s holding. because there in the box, sat your long forgotten vibrator. joe wore a shit eating grin.

“what’s this, huh?”

“oh my god, put it away.” you groan, pressing your hands over your face. joe giggles like a schoolboy.

“why have i never seen this before?”

“because i don’t need it anymore!” you cry out from behind your hands, face heating up. joe’s grin turns into a smirk.

“oh? well in that case.” he places the lid back on the box. he pushes himself up off the floor and walks over to you. gently, he grabs ahold of your wrists and pries your hands away from your face. your hands fall away and intertwine with his.

“y’know, maybe we should hang onto it. dust it off and put it to use sometime.”

“joe!”

-

as he shoves his key into the lock, joe feels the exhaustion settling deep into his bones. after a long day of tour rehearsals, he wanted nothing more than to melt into the couch with you in his arms.

he steps inside, dropping his bag to the floor and kicks off his shoes. he follows the lamp light from the living room that floods into the entry way.

“hey baby,” he calls softly, but stops when he spots you. you’re curled up on the couch under a blanket, guitar resting on the cushion next to you and your song notebook lying open on your lap.

joe smiles as he walks over, moving the guitar back to its stand in the corner then carefully removes the pen from your loose grip. he reaches for the notebook in your lap and goes to set in on the coffee table, but his eyes catch the lines scribbled onto the page before he closes it.

this could be the end of wanting

i exist only if you’re watching

something settles in his chest. something warm and heavy but light at the same time. he rereads the words in your messy handwriting over and over.

this could be the end

and it’s then where joe knows with a confidence he’s never had before, that you were the one. he smiles as he closes the book and sets it down before he moves to carefully scoop you up.

you stir slightly, lifting your head up.

“joe?” you mumble sleepily. he shushes you and presses a kiss to your forehead.

“i gotcha baby.”

“hmm… love you.” your arms tighten around his neck and burrow your face further into his neck. joe presses another kiss to your head as he carries you towards the bedroom.

“i love you more.”

-

now i don’t know if i can make it tonight

but what are you doing the rest of my life

your body had began to grow numb from the airport chairs. for the past two hours, you’ve watched the monitor at the gate displaying your flight information. you feel like every time you look up at it, the flight is delayed further.

you were supposed to have already landed in los angeles by now. in fact, you were supposed to be getting ready soon. you let out a sigh and reach for your phone in your pocket. you mumble a soft ‘be back’ to your manager before you push up from the chair and walk towards a quieter area.

you find joe’s number and dial it, pressing the phone to your ear. he was in la for a premiere, his last premiere for stranger things. and he wanted you there as his plus one, which you of course accepted.

however, you had to work around your already made studio schedule, meaning you would be flying out the morning of. which would have been fine, if it weren’t for the storm looming over new york city right now.

joe picks up almost instantly.

“judging by the fact that this is a phone call and not a text i’m gonna assume you aren’t ten thousand feet in the air right now.”

he doesn’t sound upset, but it still makes you feel guilty.

“baby, i’m really sorry. i should’ve flown out last night.”

“honey, you can’t control the weather. it’s okay. i’m not upset.”

you sigh, pressing your forehead against the cool tile on the wall of the terminal. “doesn’t make it any better. i wanna be there to support you.”

“you don’t have to be physically here for me to know you’re cheering me on. besides, they’ll hopefully be plenty more premieres for me to show you off at in the future.”

there it was. that one word that always makes your heart leap. future.

“oh yeah?” you smile.

“totally. i’ve got my life long red carpet date now.”

“life long? that sounds nice.”

“yeah, you think you’ll be free?” you can hear joe’s smile through the phone.

“hmm, for you? always.”

“good.”

“good.” anyone passing by would look at you and see you smiling like an absolute idiot. you didn’t care.

“alright baby, i gotta go. i’ll see you at home tomorrow. i’ll call you when i get back to the hotel tonight. i miss you.”

“i miss you too. go have fun, don’t worry about me. i love you.”

“i love you too. be careful getting back home.”

you end the call, your arm falling down to your side as you lean back against the wall smiling.

you walk back to your gate to meet your manager and collect your bags to go back home. you might not have been getting on a plane today to see the love of your life, but he was right. you have a lifetime of milestones to see him achieve. because for him, you’ll be free forever.

you’re free for forever with him.

this could be the end of wanting.

-

he’d gotten back from tour the night before and had been attached to your hip ever since. not that you minded. you’ve spent the last month settling for mid day facetimes with joe showing you around each venue, constant streams of texts throughout the day, and late night phone calls after he’d gotten off stage and tucked himself away into his bunk, telling you softly about the show and how much he missed you.

a month spent on the road, playing to thousands of people, belonging to them each night. but now, joe could belong to just you again. at least for a little while, until duty calls once more.

you carefully shift in his arms, turning to face him. the lack of sunlight coming from outside left the room cast in shadows, but you could still make out every detail of joe’s face. you could do it with your eyes closed.

you bring a careful finger up to ghost over his freckled cheek. he looks younger while sleeping, all the stress melted away from his face. scruffy stubble lined his jaw and trailed above his mouth and you followed it with you finger. maybe you could convince him to grow out his mustache during his off time, you thought to yourself.

joe’s nose twitches slightly and his eyes slowly flutter open. they land immediately on you and a sleepy smile pulls onto his face. his arms tighten around you, pulling you impossibly closer until both your chests were pressed together.

“good morning,” you whisper through a smile, settling your palm against his cheek.

“mmm, mornin’,” he murmurs in his sleep heavy voice. joe leans in and presses a lazy kiss to your lips. then two. then three. when he pulls away, he doesn’t go far. he rests his forehead against yours and lets his eyes shut again briefly in bliss.

“i’ve missed this,” he whispers. “i’ve missed you being the first thing i see when i wake up.”

you blush, even after all this time together. “you’re so corny.”

“if being honest is being corny i will gladly take that title.”

you snort and bury your face into the crook of his neck, breathing deeply. his scent fills your nostrils, his natural muskiness, the clean smell of his body wash, the faint traces of amber and fig lingering from his cologne. it was your favorite scent. if you could figure out how to combine all of it together in a candle, you would.

“i want a joe scented candle.” you mumble against his warm skin. it was his turn to snort.

“you want to melt me down into a candle? how romantic.”

“not all of you, the smell of melted down flesh and bones can’t smell all that good.”

joe laughs, pressing a kiss to your head. “i’ll see what we can arrange.”

you finally pull back enough to look at joe, who’s already smiling softly at you.

“you want some breakfast? i’ll make you anything you like.”

joe shakes his head, pressing his face into your chest. “nah, i just wanna stay here.”

“you’re a growing boy, you gotta eat breakfast.” you tease. “c’mon, i’ll make you pancakes then we can cuddle on the couch.”

joe considers your offer for a moment before he pulls away to meet your eye. “blueberry pancakes?”

you smile, chuckling a bit through your nose. “anything for my favorite rockstar.”

even then, it takes some coaxing to get joe to unravel his arms from around your body. when you finally are able to sit up, you lean down and press a kiss to his forehead.

“you stay here and rest. i’ll call you when it’s ready.”

joe hums and watches as you slip out the bed, his tshirt you slept in falling over your bare thighs. your hair was still mess from sleep as you stepped into your slippers and walked out the room. you were gone for five seconds before joe decided that your absence was absolutely unacceptable leading to him throwing the covers off of him and following after you.

you hadn’t even made it to the kitchen yet when joe’s arms latched back around your waist. you let out a small ‘oof’ as you braced yourself against the added weight.

“joe,” you laugh, stopping on the threshold between the living room and kitchen.

“hm?”

“let go.”

“can’t.”

“do you want breakfast or not?”

“i will physically crumble to the ground and shrivel up and die if i let go of you.”

“you are so ridiculous.”

you shuffle into the kitchen with joe clung to you like a koala. you start the coffee before moving to the pantry to gather what you need.

“can you make yourself useful and get the blueberries and milk?” you ask over your shoulder, earning an offended, scrunched up face from joe.

“please, baby?”

joe groans but drops his arms, trudging over to the fridge to grab your requested ingredients. while he did that, you got to work on the batter and heating the pan. joe sets the cartons containing the milk and the berries down on the counter and resumes his position behind you, this time wrapping his arms little looser around your waist.

it took slightly longer than usual, but you managed to get the pancakes finished. with two heaping plates and two steaming cups of coffee, you and joe settled on the couch, shoulders pressed against each other.

“mm, so good baby. thank you.” joe hums around a mouthful, syrup gathering at the corner of his mouth. you smile, swiping your thumb to wipe away the syrup on his mouth. you bring your thumb to your lips and lick off the syrup and joe gives you a cheesy smile.

after breakfast, the two of you stayed cuddled up on the couch for a bit. the rain outside hadn’t let up, hitting rhythmically on the windows. you tangled together beneath two layers of blanket and joe turned on some movie you’d both seen countless times. not that it mattered though, your attention was solely on each other.

joe plays with your hair while he retells stories from tour, all of which you already heard at some point over phone calls, but you listen anyway.

“and then wes just like, wipes out. we tried to warn him the floor was wet but he didn’t hear us in time. he hit the ground so hard he had this huge bruise on his ass,” joe recounts with soft enthusiasm, making you giggle.

“you guys are such boys,” you tease softly, playing with the chain around his neck. joe chuckles, dropping one hand down from your hair to your waist to give it a playful pinch.

“okay, baby, you have two suitcases of clothes that need to be washed. if i don’t start ‘em now they’ll just keep taunting me,” you say as you try to unwind yourself from joe’s hold but he groans dramatically, pulling you back in.

“leave them. i’ll do them tomorrow.”

“no, you won’t. you’ll keep saying that until a week has gone by and you have even more clothes piled up. just let me go start one load real quick.”

you try once more to untangle from his hold and this time he lets you. but as you stand, he stands too. you look up at your boyfriend and give him a questioning look.

“i’m coming with you.”

“baby, i’m going ten steps into the hallway.”

“so? i’d miss you too much.”

“i’m gonna get you a spray bottle,” you joke flatly as you head toward the small closet containing your stacked units. joe is hot on your trail, watching as you turn to one of the suitcases waiting in the hall and open it up.

“really, baby, i can do this later,” he murmurs as he reattaches himself around your waist, watching as you load some of his clothes into the washer. you ignore him and throw the detergent in before starting the cycle. once the load is started, you turn in his arm.

“see? that was so easy,” you turn, wrapping your arms around his neck with a lazy grin.

“so easy. and now that we were productive, i vote we go back to bed.”

“oh, we were productive, were we?” a soft chuckle escapes your lips. joe rolls his eyes and slides his hands from your waist down to the backs of your thighs before in one quick swoop, he hoists you up.

you let out a surprised yelp and anchor your legs around his waist. “jesus, joseph. give a girl a warning next time.”

joe grins cheekily before starting down the hall towards your bedroom. when he reaches your shared bed, he plops you down onto the sheets still rumpled from the morning.

he quickly follows, crawling over you and caging your head in between his arms. he peppers a few kisses across your face before he drops all of his weight on top of you, making you groan.

“joe!”

“no more getting up. you’re forbidden from leaving this bed for the rest of the day.” joe’s voice comes out muffled against the pillow beneath your head.

“you’re like a parasite.” you teasingly huff.

“am i cute parasite?” joe grins as he lifts his head up to look down at you.

you roll your eyes. “you’re a barnacle.”

“ew. that means i’m crusty. pick a different one.”

“no.”

“would you still love me if i was a barnacle?”

you snort. “hm, i suppose.”

“and you’d let me attach myself to you for the rest of our days?”

“you’re such a dork. forget i called you a parasite.”

“why? does talking about me being a barnacle not set the mood? are you not turned on?”

“joe, you’re actively killing any chance of there being a mood.”

joe immediately drops the subject, burying his face in your neck. “got it, no more.”

his breath fans over your neck before soft, wet kisses follow in its wake.

“missed you so much.” he murmurs between kisses. you fingers lace through his shaggy locks, pulling him closer.

“i missed you more. i don’t think i can physically be away from you anymore.” your voice is soft and dazed from his kisses. “like, i just wanna live in your skin.”

joe halts his trail of kisses on your neck and pulls back, a look of amusement.

“oh and i’m the ridiculous one?”

“what? so you can be a barnacle stuck to me but i can’t live inside your skin?”

joe laughs, pecking your lips. “no baby, if i’m a barnacle, you can live in my skin.”

“good. you can continue.”

joe smiles down at you in utter amusement. he looks completely lovestruck as he lets out a chuckle.

regardless, gator sat beside you on the couch as you curled into his side and started the series from the beginning.

while watching the first season, gator noticed the faint smile that would stretch across your face when a certain douchey side character with ridiculous hair appeared on the screen.

during the second season, when said character appeared more frequently, gator noted the way you would giggle bashfully under your breath.

by season three, when the floppy haired douche became a more prominent character, gator was over it.

“the hell you so giggly for?” he mumbles, lips forming a pout. you shake your head, eyes glued to the screen.

“‘m not.”

“are too.” gator scoffs lowly, watching as you grin at steve harrington in that ridiculous sailor outfit.

“we should get you a little sailor boy outfit.” you tease, prodding his side with your finger.

“hell no.” gator says immediately, causing you to chuckle.

“why not?”

“you ain’t slick, darlin’.” he replies, shaking his head.

“what are you talking about?” you laughter grows louder as you sit up enough to look at gator.

“you just have the hots f’ steve.” the feign grumpy tone of gator’s voice has you throwing your head back against the couch, laughing.

“don’t laugh!”

“sorry, but i mean, duh!” you snort teasingly. gator’s pout deepens and he pulls his arm that rested behind you on the back of the couch, crossing his arms over his chest.

“oh cmon, gates. don’t be like that.” you voice still carried a hint of amusement and your smile still stretched wide across your face. you wrap your hands around his bicep and give it a squeeze. he just rolls his eyes, fighting the smile that threatens to bloom on his face.

“i just don’t know what you see in fuckin’ steve.” gator grumbles.

“he’s cute and he has the best character development in the entire series.” you insist, not helping gator’s mood. he keeps his eyes trained on the television.

“you know,” you start when you realize gator was ignoring you. “you kinda look like him.”

this pulls a reaction out of him. his nose scrunches up and his upper lip pulls up slightly. “what?”

“yeah. i mean, steve isn’t anywhere near as hot and handsome as you are, but the resemblance is there.” your words stroke gator’s ego just like you knew they would. he preens under your attention now, but tries to not make it obvious.

“i mean, no shit.” gator scoffs again, a smug smile crossing his face.

you chuckle under your breath, curling up closer to his side. you manage to wiggle an arm around one of his and brush your nose and lips against his cheek.

“besides, steve harrington couldn’t handle me like you can.”

it’s enough to break gator’s facade, and he looks down at you with a smirk. his arms loosen up enough to allow one of you to wrap back around your shoulders.

“you’re damn right.” gator says, tugging you in closer. you chuckle, settling a hand on his chest.

bonus!

“babe just come out!”

“fuck no.” gator’s voice comes muffled from behind the bedroom door.

“you already agreed to this! you have the costume on so just come out!”

“i look fuckin’ ridiculous.”

“you look cute!”

gator’s response comes in the form of grumbled curses you couldn’t quite distinguish before the knob on the bedroom door turned slowly. as the door creaked open, gator came into view making a smile appear on your face.

“oh my god. it’s uncanny.” you giggle from where you sat on the arm of the couch. across from you, gator stood in a scoops ahoy costume you’d spent entirely too much money on at the halloween shop. his hair was ungelled and flat against his forehead beneath the sailor hat he was wearing.

“i hate this.”

“but you love me and you’re doing this for me.” you grin, sliding off your perch and walking over towards him. you steer him over towards the mirror next to the front door like a mother dragging along a grumpy child.

“we look so cute.” you say, eyes scanning over your matching scoops ahoy costumes. it was your idea, of course, to go as steve and robin for halloween. it had take intensive convincing for gator to agree, and even then you still don’t know if he completely agreed to it. but you’d somehow gotten him into the costume.

gator takes in your happy expression and suddenly his stubbornness dampens a bit.

“i guess.” he grumbles but smiles softly. his arm wraps around your waist and pulls you into his side.

“don’t get any ideas though, i ain’t wearing this in the bedroom.”

“that is literally the last thing on my mind, gates. but, you know, now that you say that…”

“alright guys, let’s head out.” his manager called from somewhere in the room and the guys slowly began to trickle out the room and down the hall. you and joe trailed behind, his hand pressed to the small of your back.

“you guys were incredible tonight.” you tell him as you walk through the back corridors of the arena.

“as opposed to the other nights?” joe teases, leaning his head down almost to your level. it makes you snort and roll your eyes.

“shut up. you guys kill it every night. quit fishing for compliments.”

joe grins and slips his hand around your waist to pull you in closer.

the warm night air hits your face as you step out of the stage door. the walk to the bus is a straight shot, but joe’s eyes are already locked on the small group formed behind a barricade across from the buses.

when you look up, he’s already looking down at you, a silent question in his eyes. you’ve told him a thousand times that he never needed your permission to greet his fans, yet he always made sure that you were okay with it.

you tug his tote bag off his shoulder, slipping it on to yours to free up his hands. joe gives you a quick smile before walking ahead towards the group. you trail behind him, lingering behind so that you were out of the way but still close.

you watch as joe greets everyone and starts signing things and smiling for pictures. you watch with a fond smile, loving seeing joe interact with his fans. as he moves down the line, the fans he’d just talked to set their attention on you, calling your name.

“hi!” they say, giving you a smile. you smile and wave back.

“did you guys enjoy the show?” you ask and they immediately nod.

“yes! it’s was so good!” their giddiness made you smile.

“i’m glad you guys had fun.”

“could we get a picture with you?” the question caught you off guard.

“with me? you want a picture with me?” you couldn’t help but chuckle a bit. but the girls nodded.

“yes! we love you!”

you weigh the question in your mind before shrugging. you understood. you were a young fangirl once. you would’ve totally asked for a picture with your favorite musician’s completely normal girlfriend too.

you step closer to the girls as they beam and hold up their phones. you lean in and smile as they click a few selfies, giggling gleefully. they thank you as you step back.

“of course.”

you step closer to where joe was chatting with another group of fans, signing the posters bought from the merch table.

you watch as one of the girls in the group hold her phone out, trying to get her, joe, and her friends all in the frame of the photo.

“i can take it for you, if you want.” you offer and her attention turns to you and she lowers her phone.

“would you really?” she asks, almost shocked. you nod.

“yeah, of course. i don’t mind.” you say, stepping over. you take the girl’s phone and flip the camera around. joe smiles at you fondly before he repositions himself to pose.

you take a few more pictures for different fans before joe bids everyone a goodnight and turns back to you. he wraps his arm around your shoulders and steers you back towards the bus.

“i love that you interact with them. you’re amazing.” he tells you, dropping his lips to press against your temple.

“of course i do. they’re an extension of you. if they love and support you i’m going to show them kindness.”

you said it so simply. like the fact that you loved his fans was a no brainer. but no one asked you to. you weren’t forced to go out of your way to interact with them. but you did anyway. and the thought made something warm bloom in joe’s chest.

“i think i’m the luckiest man in the world.” he tells you softly before guiding you onto the waiting bus.

a while later, you’re settled on the couches with joe and the guys. your head in his lap as he scrolls through his phone. you and wes are talking about some obscure tv show and joe is chiming in ever once in a while.

joe is looking through posts from earlier that night from fans. most of it is pictures of him on stage, some of it is photos of his and the fans at the stage door. but one post catches his attention.

it’s you smiling for a picture with fans, then the next few pictures in the post are candid pictures of you chatting with fans and taking photos for them. then his eyes drift down the caption.

she’s so sweet. you could tell she was trying to be respectful and supportive and let joe do his thing with us. she told us hello and asked how we enjoyed the show. she seemed so surprised that we wanted a pic with her. then she went around offering to take pictures with joe for us. joe is literally the luckiest guy in the world she loves him sm im gonna cry

joe smiles to himself, double tapping the post and watching as a heart appeared, adding a like to the post. he then glances down at you, that familiar warmth from earlier filling him once more. he sets his phone to the side, redirecting all his attention back to you.

your boyfriend, gator, on the other hand, could not for the life of him understand why you consumed so much of these “shitty shows”. he’d groan whenever he’d come home and find you laying on the couch watching one of your shows.

your current reality tv hyper fixation is jersey shore. you watched it when you were younger, probably way too young, but it was one of your favorites. so you were doing a rewatch of it.

like any other night after dinner, gator is sat in his usual spot on the couch, feet kicked up on the coffee table as he scrolls through his phone absentmindedly. your laying on the opposite end, feet resting in his lap beneath a blanket.

remote in hand, you navigate to the streaming service and hit play on the next episode. gator barely glances up through his lashes before he’s grunting and rolling his eyes.

“don’t be so grouchy. i know you secretly love my shows.” you tease, poking his thigh with your foot.

gator scoffs, shaking his head. “i don’t like this dumb shit. i dunno how you fuckin’ watch it.”

you roll your eyes, smiling as you settle into your blanket. “when you have a better tv suggestion, we can talk.”

gator mumbles under his breath and you drown him out by turn up the volume a couple of notches.

every once in awhile, you steal a glance or two at gator and find his thumb had paused where it hovered over his screen and his eyes were cast towards the tv screen. you hide your smirk behind the blanket, filing away that bit of information.

another thing you notice was how gator who scoff quietly every time rob would be on the screen. eventually, you brought it up.

“what’s your problem?” you tease and gator looks up at you from his phone.

“guy’s a douche. dunno how you can stand watchin’ this.”

it made you laugh because gator was right and it surprised you that he paid attention enough to know that rob was an ass.

“it’s entertaining, gate. c’mon, you can’t tell me that you don’t find the drama at least a little entertaining.” gator just shakes his head.

he keeps his eyes on his phone for a while longer, until you let out a soft gasp and reach for the remote. his gaze lifted up curiously as he watches snooki and jwoww walk into a cyber cafe on the screen.

“this part is so good.” you say, mostly to yourself, as you turn the volume up a few notches.

“what’re they doin’?” gator mumbles, trying to sound disinterested.

“they’re about to make shit hit the fan.” you say with a grin.

gator’s phone sits forgotten in his lap, screen locked from inactivity, as he watches snooki and jwoww write a letter to sam about rob’s behaviors at the club.

“they just gonna give that to ‘er? in a letter? why can’t they just tell ‘er?”

“just wait.”

gator grumbles. then he watches as they don’t, in fact, hand deliver the letter to sam, but leave it in her dresser anonymously.

“wait, so they’re just gonna put that shit there not signed and she don’t even know who it’s from?”

“yup.” you reply, popping the ‘p’.

“but ain’t they her friends? why would they not just tell her?”

“because they don’t want to be targeted by rob, baby.”

gator is bewildered. and then the episode ends. you sigh and reach for the remote again, turning off the tv. you swing your legs off of gator’s lap as you sit up and stretch. gator doesn’t move.

“wait, what’re you doin’?”

“going to lay in bed. it’s late and i wanna cuddle. get your ass up.” you say like it was obvious.

“so we’re just gonna stop there? we ain’t gonna watch the next episode?”

you make a face. “i was watching. you were on your phone.”

“but wouldn’t you rather go to bed not on a cliffhanger?” gator scoffs nonchalantly. but you know him too well. he doesn’t convince you one bit.

“i already know what happens.” you shrug, collecting your water cup and phone from the coffee table.

“yeah, well i don’t and it’s gonna piss me off not knowing. so sit your ass back down and play the next episode.”

you gaze down at gator, fighting the amused smile on your face as you cross your arms.

“admit that you like jersey shore then we can watch one more.”

“i don’t like this fucking shit. i just wanna know what happens. ‘s different.” gator crosses his arms, avoiding your gaze. something he does when he is lying. you roll your eyes and set your things back down.

“fine, but we’re laying down and cuddling.”

gator scoffs and rolls his eyes but immediately moves to lay down, tossing his phone next to yours on the table.

you stood near the back of the ga pit with joe’s tour manager, not so far back that it drew much attention but far back enough that you didn’t get lost in the crowd. though, that didn’t stop the well trained eye of some of the fans from noticing you.

not that you noticed. your attention was locked onto the man jumping around on stage. you couldn’t help it, you were always enthralled by joe. the smile never left your face as you sang and cheered along with the crowd.

pictures of you doing so were on twitter within minutes.

as you and joe’s manager began to walk back towards the backstage area at the end of the set, you can hear joe announce to the crowd that they’re be lost somewhere in the crowd for tame impala. it made you roll your eyes, smiling as you shake your head. because of course joe and the guys would just wanna watch the show smack dab in the middle of the crowd.

you make it backstage just before joe, so you grab a water bottle to have ready for him and wait.

“there she is!” you hear him before you see him. joe’s rounding the corner, following in after sam and adam and the other guys following in behind.

“hey rockstar.” you grin as joe’s arms wrap around your waist and lift you up. you feign disgust and push your hands against his chest as he holds you up with your feet dangling off the floor.

“you’re gross and sweaty.”

“you love it.”

“you stink.”

“again, you love it.” joe insists with a grin on his face. you roll your eyes but give into him because, yeah, he was right.

“you were incredible, as always. you guys are amazing.” you say, smushing his cheeks between your fingers and thumb dramatically and press a kiss to his lips. joe hums into the kiss and sets you down.

“of course we were, we had our number one fan out in the audience.” he says, leaning in for another peck. you hold the water out to him and he accepts it with a smile.

“thank you, baby. you looked so pretty out there. singing all the words.” joe teases as he takes a sip of his water. you snort.

“baby you’re blind. no way you were able to spot me all the way in the back without your glasses.”

joe scoffs are throws an arm over your shoulder, tugging you close. “first of all, rude. second, i could spot you in any crowd. glasses or not. i’m just naturally drawn to you. like a magnet and a compass.”

“you’re so corny.” you chuckle, leaning into his side as he begins to lead you to follow the guys back out to the crowd for kevin’s set.

“again, you love it.”

“hey, i’m really proud of you, you know?” you ask him as you walk down the hall, trailing behind the others. joe glances down at you and smiles softly.

“yeah, i know. it means the world to me. your support. your love. you. i do all this for you. because of you.” he says quietly, squeezing you impossibly closer into his side. you rest you hand that isn’t wrapped around his waist onto his chest and lean into him.

“i love you, my rockstar.”

joe leans down and presses a kiss to the top of your head. “i love you, too.”

the two of you trail behind the others, arms wrapped around each other. you make it out into the pit just as kevin was taking the stage. similar to how you watched joe’s set, all of you stood near the back of the pit where the crowd was thinner.

you and joe stand slightly off to the side of the group with joe standing behind you. his arms wrap around your waist loosely and you lean back against him. neither of you had even thought about any eyes on you. right now, you were just a regular couple at a show.

again, within minutes, pictures and videos were circulating on twitter.

some that shows you walking out, wrapped in each others arms. others show you two swaying or nodding to the beat, joe holding you firm again his chest. there were even a few of you goofing off later in the show, jumping around and dancing together.

once the end of tame impala’s neared, joe leans down to your ear.

“ready to head out?” you nod against his chest and wraps his arm around your waist, pulling you close as a security guard begins to lead your group backstage to beat the crowd.

a couple of fans call out for joe as you pass and he offers a smile and little wave, never loosening his hold on you for a second.

hours later, when your back on the bus and the adrenaline high from the concert has died down, the guys have all one by one retreated to their bunks for the night, leaving you and joe in the dim back lounge. you’re curled into his side with your legs thrown across his lap, sharing a blanket.

joe’s head rests on your shoulder as you scroll through your phone, combing through his curls that were still damp from his shower with your free hand. you scrolled through your social media apps, looking at the fan reaction from the night. except you’re met with less about joe’s opening set and more with pictures and videos of yourself and joe.

you huff out a soft laugh through your nose and joe turns his head towards your screen and hums curiously. you tilt the phone towards him and show the video playing on your tiktok.

“is that us?” joe murmurs, a faint amusement in his voice. the video shows the two of you in the crowd, joe holding onto your arms and waving them around over your head while you laugh before turning in his arms to join him. the caption read “she matches his energy perfectly”.

“yeah. apparently some people were more interested in us than the show.” you chuckle softly, opening the comments. you’re immediately met with comments and pictures taken of the two of you. the two of you goofing off, the two of you dancing, the two of you just wrapped up in each other in your own little bubble.

“i mean, we are pretty cute.” joe jokes quietly, nuzzling further into your shoulder. you laugh and roll your eyes before locking your phone and tossing it to the side.

minor inconveniences stacked upon each other that just made his day seem to drag on. he discreetly checks his watch for the umpteenth time during the signing and sighs. almost over.

“excuse me, mister joe?”

joe’s gaze shifts back to the table in front of him, eyes slightly wide in surprise at the small voice. his eyes land on a little girl, no older than five, peaking over the table, a copy of the crux cd clutched in her hand.

“oh, hello there.” joe smiles, leaning forward across the table.

“hi!” the girl beams with a wide smile. joe fondly notes the missing front tooth.

“what’s your name?” joe asks, reaching his hand out as she slides her album across the table.

“sarah!”

“it’s nice to meet you, sarah. i’m joe.” he says as he signs her cd before giving her his undivided attention.

“oh my gosh!” the girl whispers loudly to herself causing joe to chuckle. he reaches his hand across the table, holding it out towards her. she stares at it with wide eyes before she places her small hand in his large one. that was all it took.

the girl’s eyes became glassy and her bottom lip wobbled.

“i love you so much,” the girl wails softly bringing joe to full alert.

“oh, don’t cry sweetheart.” joe says as he stands up and rounds the table to crouch in front of her, holding his arms out. “can i have a hug?”

the girl nods quickly and falls into joe’s arms. she sniffles against his chest and joe swears he can feel his heart melt.

he doesn’t pull back until the girl does, and when he does, he smiles warmly at her.

“can i tell you a secret?” joe asks, and the girl once again nods, tears slowly drying up. joe leans in and lowers his voice to a whisper.

“you’re my favorite fan. i’m so lucky to get to meet you.” the girl’s eyes lights up and she lets out a soft gasp. she glances back at her mom in disbelief while joe just smiles fondly.

they snap a quick picture and he gives the girl one more hug before she’s skipping away, exclaiming to her mom that she hugged joe keery.

it makes something warm settle in joe’s chest as he watches her walk away. the feeling lingers through the rest of the signing and follows him on his way home. on the train, he can’t help but let his mind drift back to the interaction and how much that little girl stole his heart.

his mind began to drift towards you and how you interact with children. the two of you had never talked about it seriously, but joe knew he wanted a family with you someday. and he knew you would be a great mom.

the image of the little girl in his head slowly began to morph into a different version. one with your nose and smile and, hopefully, your eyes. one with joe’s messy brown curls and freckles. one that was a perfect mix of both you and him.

the thought brings back that warm feeling in full force. a soft smile settles on joes face and stays there the entire way home.

when joe stumbles into the apartment, kicking off his shoes and setting down his bag, you’re in the kitchen looking through the pantry trying to figure out dinner.

you glance you as he enters the kitchen and smile. “hi baby. how was your day?”

“long. missed you.” joe mumbles as he walks over to you, wrapping his arms around your waist and resting his head against your shoulder.

“yeah? how’d the signing go?”

joe smiles against your sweater before he pulls back enough to look down at you.

“it was good. really good.” you catch the fond look on his face immediately. you raise a brow, unable to help but mirror his soft smile.

“what’s that look for?” you ask, wrapping your arms around his neck.

“there was this girl there.”

“should i be worried?”

“no, not like that. a little girl. she had to be, like, five or six. cutest damn thing. she came up to the table with her own album and everything. she called me mister keery.”

you snort. “mister keery. that’s adorable.”

“yeah. and then she started crying.” joe adds.

“joseph, did you make a child cry?”

“no! no, not like that. she started crying and said she loved me so much. it was really sweet.”

you could tell by the look on his face that it really affected him. he had this soft look on his face that he got when he was feeling sentimental.

“i don’t know, i just,” joe shakes his head, emotion welling up in his eyes. “it just made me start thinking.”

your heart jumps in your chest at the tone of his voice and the implications of his words. you smile, bringing one of your hands to brush against his cheek.

“oh yeah?”

“yeah. i started thinking about you and how good you are with kids and how you’d know just what to do with the girl so naturally. then i started thinking about our own little girl.”

“our little girl?” you ask, your smile widening slightly.

“yeah. she’d have your nose and eyes and your smile. maybe my hair, probably my freckles. she’d be kind like you. i would teach her about music and we would go to the beach house during the summers. i dont know, it’s probably silly.”

“it’s not silly, joe.” you insist. in fact, his ramblings filled you with that same warm feeling that joe held in his chest. “i can see it.”

joe’s face lights up softly as he looks at you. “you can?”

you nod. “i’ve always been able to see it. our family. definitely a little girl. i think it’s in the cards for us one day.”

“yeah? good, that’s good.” joe smiles, clearing his throat to keep his voice from cracking with emotion.

“i want all of that with you. our own little family. you’re the only person i’d dream of doing life with.”

you smile at joe’s words before leaning up to peck his lips. “good. because you’re the only person i’d wanna do that with too.”

joe grins, squeezing your hips as he pulls you in closer. “i can’t wait.”

you stand in the kitchen in each others arms for a few moments, relishing in the warmth of the moment until joe breaks the silence.

“so, i guess we should practice, huh?” he teases in your ear. you pull back and slap his chest softly.