Waking up to terrible cramps in the middle of the night is definitely one of the worst things. It's even worse if you didn't expect it because your period came early. Especially if you're spending the night at your boyfriend's place who has white bed sheets and is peacefully sleeping right next to you.

"No. Not now" you murmured to yourself as you shifted uncomfortably and placed a hand on your lower stomach, hoping it'll help.

But soon, your eyes snapped open as you realized you're not at home. And you registered that you didn't expect your period tonight. Which meant that you definitely bleed through.

You gently grabbed Joe's wrist and unwrapped his arm from around your waist. You placed his hand gently on the bed then uncovered yourself. You sat up a little and saw that you bled through. The white bedsheets now had a big red patch on it.

"No, no, no" you mumbled and ran your fingers through your hair as embarrassment flushed over you.

Joe stirred beside you and you felt as your cheeks heat up. There was no way you can change the sheets without him noticing. This whole thing was so embarrassing. It wasn't like that Joe will be mad. He would never. And he would never be disgusted by such things as your period. You were together for years, one and half years to be exact, and he always made sure you're comfortable and not in pain when you had your period. You know you shouldn’t be embarrassed. It was natural. But even in your own bed you felt embarrassed if you bleed through. So now that you were at Joe's place it just felt worse.

You were so lost in your thoughts that you didn't even notice that Joe woke up and sat up beside you.

"Baby?" he said softly and you looked at him "Are you okay?" he asked.

"No" you whispered and shook your head then looked at the blood stain on the sheets. He followed your gaze and understanding immediately flashed through his face.

"Baby..." he started to catch your attention "go to the bathroom and clean up, okay?"

"I- I'm so... I'm so sorry" you said and tears filled your eyes.

"Hey...it’s okay. Don't cry, baby" he said as he shifted closer and lifted a hand to wipe your tears, his hand lingered on your cheek.

"I ruined your white bedsheets" you whispered.

"I don't care. It’s just bedsheets. I can wash them later" he said and caressed your cheeks with his thumb "Just... go to the bathroom and clean up. You can find pads in the drawer under the sink" he said.

"What? Why do you have pads in your bathroom?" you asked confused.

"Baby... we're my girlfriend for one and half years. Basically, you live here. Even if we didn't say it out loud. You spend most of the time here. I know when you have your period. I know you always bring pads with you when you have your period. But I thought I'll keep some in the bathroom in case something like this happens" he said and his words warmed your heart.

"Joe..." you started but you didn't know what to say.

"Don't say anything. Just go. And I’ll change the sheets" he said and you nodded as you got out of the bed. You grabbed a pair of panties from one of his drawers where your clothes were "you can take one of my hoodies" he said like he read your mind.

"Thank you, baby" you said and grabbed one of his hoodies then made your way to the bathroom.

Joe changed the bedsheets while you cleaned yourself. He even placed painkillers and a glass of water on the nightstand. When you came out, you saw that he was already in bed. Then as you walked closer your eyes landed on the painkiller and water on the nightstand. His eyes followed your gaze then he looked back at you.

"I thought you might need some painkillers for cramps" he said, knowing that your cramps were always terrible.

"Yeah. Thank you" you said as you sat down on the bed and took the painkillers. Once you washed the pills down with the water you get comfortable in the bed again and he followed, laying next to you.

"Do you need anything else, baby?" he asked softly.

"No. Just you" you said which made him smile "Sometimes I forgot you have sisters. And that you always do this every month" you admitted.

"I would do anything for you. To make you feel better. I hate seeing you in pain. I wish I could take it away from you" he said and wrapped his arm around your waist.

You hummed as you closed your eyes. You were exhausted but the cramps were so bad that you knew you won't sleep anytime soon. Before you could think about it more, you felt as his hand wander under the hoodie, his hoodie, what you were wearing. His big, warm hand splayed across your lower stomach serving as a heating pad. Then you felt as his thumb drew circles on your stomach and you felt as the tension slowly leaves your body. Even a few minutes later, you felt a lot better, the pain slowly easing away.

"Does this help?" he asked.

"Yeah. Please keep doing that" you whispered as you relaxed more and more in his arms.

He pulled you even closer to him, if that was possible, so your back was pressed against his chest. He pulled his hand away from your stomach and brushed your hair out of the way and pressed a kiss to the back of your neck. Then he placed his hand back on your lower stomach and kept drawing soothing circles there. It felt really good.

"Tell me if you need something else, baby" he whispered in your ear.

You just nodded a little as you were already half asleep again. The pain slowly subsided, thanks to Joe and his warm hand and caring nature. The cramps didn't go away completely but it was bearable now, so you could sleep.

"Thank you" you muttered.

"Anything for you, baby" he said with a small smile.

At the start, it was almost always just you and Joe flying between filming locations and in person auditions. It wasn’t until he started focusing solely on his music that you had to adapt to being on a tour bus with six boys and a few crew members.

It didn’t take long for you to find out that it was much easier that way, because Joe always had someone else to distract him when you needed to slip away for a moment alone. 

Now that you were traveling with him one on one, that overstimulated static was starting to buzz in the back of your head. He didn’t let go of your hand the entire car ride to the hotel, but oddly enough, you didn’t mind that.

The overstimulation kicked in when you were waiting in line at the front desk and Joe started to wheel your suitcases to and fro, fidgeting to keep himself awake and calm after the airport incident.

The clicking of the wheels against the floor was starting to make you flinch, your ears sensitive to each click and clack against the wood floors. 

As the line slowly moved forward and you made your way to the front, you reminded yourself to take deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth. It had been a long travel day, technically two, and both of you were tired and in desperate need of proper sleep in an actual bed.

It wouldn’t be much longer before you were alone in the silence of your own hotel suite with no noise, distractions, and most importantly, no Joe. 

“Do you think we can order room service after we check in?” Joe’s voice near your ear made you jump, unprepared for him to be so close. “You okay?” 

“Just fine.” It came out strained, and Joe raised an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth twitching in amusement. “What?” 

“Nothing.” He hummed softly, shrugging his shoulders and pursing his lips. “Line moved up.” 

You inhaled sharply, your shoulders lifting towards your ears as you held the breath for a second before blowing it out sharply. You shuffled forward, reaching for your wallet in your crossbody bag as you approached the counter with a forced smile.

Your cheeks ached at the push, but it wasn’t the desk clerk’s fault that you’d had a long day. 

“Good morning.” You started, unzipping your wallet. “We’re checking in for two rooms, both staying until Saturday.” 

You gave the clerk your name and information, resting your forearms on the counter as Joe started to hum behind you. It wasn’t as bad as the suitcase noise, but it was still enough to overload your senses.

Your shoulders tightened up again, and you glanced over your shoulder at him with that same forced smile. 

“You wanna have a seat while I get us checked in?” You hoped he understood the message you were trying to convey with your eyes, but he shook his head. “It might take a minute.” 

“I’ll wait here.” He said. “It was a long flight and I need to stretch my legs a little anyway." 

You wanted to tell him to go for a very long walk. 

But you bit your tongue and turned your attention back to the front desk clerk, Pierre. 

He looked nervous, eyes shifting between you and Joe like he was trying to decide which one of you was least likely to bite his head off. He opened his mouth, pausing before he glanced down at the computer screen one more time. 

“Is everything okay?” You prompted. 

“It looks like one of your reservations was cancelled this morning.” He shifted behind the desk, nervously fidgeting. “I am assuming you didn’t cancel it?” 

“No, I didn’t.” You said slowly, shaking your head. “Is there any way we can reinstate it?” 

“I am afraid not.” Pierre cleared his throat. “It’s fashion week and we are sold out.” 

“Right.” You pinched the bridge of your nose, taking another deep breath as frustration started to prickle at your skin. “So we’ll just have the one room, correct?”

“Yes.” He said softly. 

“And it’s still a suite with two rooms?” You lowered your hand, watching Pierre’s eye twitch. “Okay, so it’s a suite with a couch?”

“Yes, but it is more of a decorative settee than somewhere to sleep.” Pierre muttered, turning back to the screen. “It looks like the person who cancelled also changed the room type this morning.” 

“And did this person leave a name?” You asked, pulling out your ID and the shared credit card you and Joe had access to. 

“Just the initials S.R.” Pierre nodded, clicking around on the screen. “It was around seven this morning, m’am.” 

Stanley Rowland. 

You scoffed, shaking your head and mumbling a curse under your breath. You tried to pull yourself together, fishing for the words floating around in your brain in an attempt to form a sentence.

It was hard, but you finally got there as Joe moved to stand beside you. He had been so quiet during your interaction that you’d honestly forgotten he was standing behind you with your suitcases. 

After Pierre took your ID and credit card, Joe rested his hand on your right hip, his thumb finding its way under your hoodie. His hand was still cold from the outside, but you welcomed the feeling of it against your burning skin.

He lazily traced his calloused thumb over a stretch mark on your lower back, squeezing the soft flesh of your side with his other fingers as he shuffled a little closer to you. 

“Stanley?” His voice was low enough that only you could hear. 

“I guess.” Turning your head, you looked up at him with a frown. “If he knows where we’re staying, I’d bet money that either he’s here or he has someone keeping tabs on us.” 

“Jesus.” He scoffed. “So we have one room?” 

“We have one room and one bed.” You didn’t want to think about what that meant for sleeping arrangements.

You’d sleep on the floor if you had to.

“Well, we can ask for more pillows to make a little wall between us.” He teased, pulling you closer by your hip. “Unless you’d like to sleep on me again.” 

You snorted out a laugh, rolling your eyes. 

Of course he’d find this amusing. 

“What, you don’t want to cuddle with me?” He leaned closer, brushing his lips over your temple before reaching your ear. “I liked having you on top of me all night.” 

“Joseph.” You tossed your elbow back, hissing out his name. “We’re in public and I just said Stanley probably has someone watching.” 

“Yeah, but there’s no one here but us and Pierre.” He whined, reaching up with his free hand to rub a small circle over his side. “You’re mean.” 

“I’m not mean.” You mumbled, turning your attention back to Pierre. “Will we be able to order room service for breakfast today?” 

“Of course.” He smiled. “Your room is going to be on the third floor, all the way at the end of the hall.” 

“Thank you for your help, Pierre.” You took back your ID and card, waiting as he worked on the keys. “I’m sorry for the confusion, and I appreciate you helping us.” 

“It is not a problem at all.” Pierre turned his attention to Joe, his cheeks tinging a soft shade of pink as he stared at your boss. “I am a big fan of Steve Harrington. I’m really glad they didn’t kill him in the last season ” 

“Oh, thank you.” Joe’s face lit up. “That means a lot to me.” 

“I have upgraded your room so that you have a better view.” Pierre said, his accent curling around every syllable. “I know that it is not much, but I wanted to do something nice for you both.” 

“Pierre, that was very kind.” Your shoulders relaxed just a little as Joe squeezed your hip again. “You didn’t have to do that.” 

“I insist.” He smiled. “Would you mind signing something for me, Mr. Keery?” 

“Anything for you, Pierre.” Joe reached for the pen and notepad Pierre offered, and you put your things back into your bag. “Thank you again for helping us out.” 

“Of course.” Pierre nodded, taking his autograph back. “If you need anything during your stay this week, please let me know.” 

You thanked him again, reaching back for your suitcase and rolling it on towards the elevators just down the hall. Joe followed in step behind you, still beaming at the interaction with Pierre. 

He didn’t hate being known for Steve Harrington, but sometimes it could be a bit much when people expected him to be Steve. It was nice seeing someone who could appreciate the character, but separate the difference between him and Joe. 

“He was really nice.” Joe said as you hit the elevator button. 

“He was.” Glancing over your shoulder, you offered Joe a tired smile. 

He bumped your suitcase with his, and you snorted out a little laugh as the doors to the elevator opened up. 

When you turned back around, you didn’t expect to see your blind date from the other night standing on the other side. 

Instinctively, you took a small step backwards towards Joe as the hair on the back of your neck stood up. Joe didn’t say anything as you locked eyes with Mark, he just observed.

His brows pulled together, and he reached forward to lay his hand on your hip again, but you moved quickly enough that he couldn’t grasp you. 

“Fancy running into you here.” Mark said, lips curling up in a slimy grin. “Can’t believe we booked the same hotel for fashion week.” 

You didn’t say anything, couldn’t say anything.

“Sorry, who are you?” Joe asked, leaving his suitcase and maneuvering himself to stand between you and Mark. “I don’t believe we’ve met.” 

“Nah, we haven’t.” Mark shrugged, eyes trained on you. “But I know your girlfriend pretty intimately, don’t I babe?” 

Your stomach churned, the water you’d chugged on the plane suddenly too heavy on your stomach. Joe looked back at you, eyes searching your face.

His gaze hardened as realization took over his senses, and he turned back with his jaw tight and eyes narrowed. 

“Well, we have places to be, so if you’d excuse us-” Joe started. 

“Oh, silly me.” Mark said, stepping off the elevator in your direction. 

Joe moved, still blocking you from Mark’s efforts to get closer. 

“Hope you lovebirds have a good time tonight.” Mark said. “I hear Les Ombrés escargot is absolutely delectable.” 

How the hell did he know where you booked Joe’s dinner reservations?

Something within you snapped. 

“Go fuck yourself, Mark.” You tossed your middle finger up before rolling your suitcase onto the elevator. “And tell Stanley to eat a bag of dicks.” 

You pressed the button for your floor, both men staring at you in shock. 

Joe moved when the doors started to close, sliding in just beside you at the last minute. 

He took note of how tightly you were gripping your suitcase handle, your knuckles white from the force of it. He watched your shoulders tense, drawing up towards your ears as you let out an irritated sigh.

He choked back one of his own, pushing his suitcase out of the way and taking its place. He stood next to you, close enough that you could feel his body heat, but not so close that you were touching. 

“Eat a bag of dicks?” He muttered the question, a smile tugging at his lips. “Where’d that come from, killer?” 

“I don’t know.” Nervous laughter bubbled out of you as you looked up at Joe. “I probably shouldn’t have said anything, but I mean…the audacity of these two idiots is astounding to me. He sent Mark to spy on us? And he took our hotel room? Surely getting turned down for a second date isn’t this serious.”

“I mean, I’d be pretty sad if you turned me down.” Joe teased, bumping against you. “I definitely wouldn’t go this level of crazy, but I’d be heartbroken for sure.” 

“Shut up.” You breathed out, shaking your head. “I swear, every hour you get more and more bold.” 

“It’s your fault.” He shrugged, turning his attention forward. “If you weren’t so damn pretty, maybe I could have a little control.” 

“Oh, is that so?” You barked out a laugh as the elevator doors opened. “Just remember that when you wake up in the morning and see me with bedhead and no makeup.” 

“I’ve seen you with the flu on the floor of a hotel bathroom, and I still think you’re pretty fucking hot.” He rolled his head. “Give yourself credit, babe.” 

“Never again do I want to hear that word come out of your mouth.” A groan pulled from you. “I’d rather you call me ‘hey, you’ than babe.” 

You walked down the hallway, not bothering to see if Joe was trailing behind you. 

“Is baby off the table then?” He asked as you stopped in front of the door. “I quite like the idea of calling you baby.”

“For you it is.” You slid the key into the reader, pushing the door open. “Baby is reserved for romantic partners.”

“Guess I’ll have to upgrade my subscription from friend to partner then.” He muttered under his breath, watching as you walked into the room.

“Huh?” You glanced over your shoulder, only hearing a mumble from him.

He should have said it louder, but he didn’t want to push. 

Harmless flirting was safe for now. 

“Well, we have a kitchen at least.” You glanced over your shoulder at Joe, watching as he hovered in the doorway. 

There was this strange expression on his face, one that you’d seen him get on stage when the crowd was going crazy in front of him, screaming the songs that he wrote back to him. It was like he was mesmerized, like he couldn’t believe his luck. 

“You okay?” You asked softly, crossing your arms over your chest. “Joe?” 

“What?” He shook his head, pressing his lips together as you sighed. 

“I asked if you were okay?” You repeated. “You’re hovering in the doorway.” 

“Oh, sorry.” He walked over the threshold, letting the door shut behind him as you dropped your shared keys down onto the kitchen table. “I was just thinking.” 

“I can see how thinking and walking would be difficult for you, babe.” Joe laughed at your impression of Mark’s voice. 

“You’re a little comedian, Ace.” He pressed his hand to his stomach. “I like this side of you.” 

“I’m the same me I’ve always been.” With a shrug, you turned to look at the small living room, taking note that the settee was definitely a decorative one. 

“Nah, this is different.” He stood next to you, taking in the area. “I guess I’m on the fancy couch.” 

“No one is sleeping on that thing.” You gestured towards it with disgust, scrunching up your nose. “I’m just gonna take the floor.” 

“Like hell you are.” Joe snorted. “No one is sleeping on the floor.” 

“Well, we can’t share a bed.” You crossed your arms again, looking at him with raised brows. “I know we’ve crossed a couple lines over the last few days, but let’s not set the line on fire. We still need to maintain a professional working relationship, even if you’re dead set on practicing your pick up lines on me.” 

“Afraid that you’ll be too tempted if we share a bed?” He tried to wiggle his brows, but it came out more like a stuttered eyebrow raise. “I know I’m like, really hot, but I think you’re a strong enough woman to resist my charm.” 

You rolled your eyes, but deep down inside you knew that you definitely weren’t a strong enough woman to resist his charm. If the plane ride was any indication of just how much you wanted to be close to Joe, then sharing a bed with him was a terrible idea. 

“Right, that’s exactly it.” You reached over, patting his arm. “It’s not because you snore like a chainsaw.” 

“I do not snore.” Joe let out an offended scoff, pressing his hands to his chest. 

“You drool too.” You teased, walking over to your suitcase. “I’m going to take a shower.” 

“I do not drool!” He gasped. “These lies must end.” 

“You know, you should think about becoming an actor.” Rolling your suitcase towards the center of the room, you lowered it on its side with a grin. “You're dramatic enough to make it work, I guess.” 

“You guess?” He choked out. “I take it back, you’re not funny anymore. I want the old version of you back.” 

“Sorry, friend.” Sifting through your suitcase, you started looking for your toiletry bag as Joe watched. “You wanted this version, remember?” 

“Yeah, whatever.” He grumbled. I’m going to lay claim to my side of the bed.” 

You laughed as he wheeled himself into the bedroom. 

Joe might have thought that you were sharing a bed, but that definitely wasn’t something that you could allow. If anything, you were hoping that during your shower Joe would end up falling asleep.

If he was asleep, you’d be able to grab a pillow and sneak onto the very uncomfortable settee without him knowing. Even if it was uncomfortable, at least it wasn’t the floor. 

After gathering your pajamas, toiletries, and hair care products, you found your way to the bathroom that was tucked into a small alcove on the other side of the living area. 

You could hear Joe on the phone in the bedroom, and you made a mental note that the walls were thin enough for you to hear Joe’s snoring throughout the night. You also made a mental note not to talk too loud when you called Poppy later to fill her in on all of the details of your trip. 

She wouldn’t be happy about you two sharing a room, but the only person to blame in all of this was Stanley.

Joe’s voice got a little louder, and though you couldn’t make out what he was saying exactly, you could hear that he was upset.

Every part of you wanted to try and dissect what he was saying, to eavesdrop to get even a crumb of information from him. Instead, you tipped your head back and let the warm water cascade over you in attempts to block out his voice.

If you couldn’t have your own room, at least you had the sweet escape of a tiny bathroom and amazing water pressure.

Sharing a room didn’t really bother you as much as you thought it would either, that normal feeling of feeling stifled and crowded quieter than it would have been with anyone else.

Having Joe sharing your space didn’t make things worse at all. In the past, things like physical touch and constant hovering from partners and friends made you feel worse when you were feeling tired and overstimulated.

When Joe stood next to you in the elevator, you felt supported by his presence, not crowded. When he placed his hand on your hip, it didn’t make your skin crawl, it made you feel grounded, like he was keeping you tethered to him instead of letting you float away into chaos.

As you reached for your bodywash, you realized that Joe’s voice had quieted down to a low hum through the walls. Something about it pulled at your core and your breath hitched in your throat as you lathered yourself up, eyes closing as your hand trailed lower towards the apex of your thighs. 

You weren’t sure why hearing his voice was making you feel this way, but you knew that if you didn’t deal with it now, it would keep you from taking a nap later, tossing and turning and pent up.

You felt yourself tighten around nothing, walls clenching together in search of something to stimulate your nerve endings as the hot water washed over you. It didn’t take long for your hand to find its way down to where your arousal was flowing out of you, slick and warm and ready.

You slipped a finger inside, propping one foot up on the edge of the shower bench and turning your back to the water as Joe laughed. A sigh escaped from your lips as you curled your finger up, teasing that spot inside of you before dragging your finger out and up to your clit.

It was begging for touch, aching and throbbing as you rubbed soft circles over it. You bit your lip, reminding yourself that the walls were thin and Joe could probably hear everything you were doing, just as you could hear him. 

You hoped he couldn’t hear the soft sound of your arousal clinging to your clit as you continued to bring yourself closer and closer to the edge, rubbing soft circles over the bundle of nerves while you thought about his smile.

It was unusual for you to get off without the aid of a toy, but you were so pent up from spending the weekend and Joe that it didn’t seem to be too difficult. You hadn’t gotten off in days, and you liked to practice self-care as often as you were able to.

The muscles in your core tightened, and you wished that you had enough coordination to slide your fingers inside of yourself to satisfy the emptiness while your fingers continued to circle your clit. You wanted to feel the stretch, to feel full.

You weren’t able to take your hand off the grab bar on the side of the shower tile, knowing that you’d die of embarrassment if you slipped and fell while getting off to thoughts of your boss.

It was pathetic that the way he looked at you from the doorway of the hotel room was what sent you over the edge. The softness of his eyes and the barely there smile that somehow still made his cheeks push up just a hint.

It was the adoration behind the look, knowing that he was looking at you like that. 

It wasn’t hard for you to keep quiet because you were shy when it came to pleasure. 

With only one sexual encounter under your belt and living with your parents until you moved to New York with Joe, you were used to holding it in and keeping discrete so no one could hear what you were doing behind closed doors. 

Growing up you were taught that sex was not for pleasure, but for creation. It was backwards and outdated and wrong but sometimes the things drilled into your mind as a child stuck with you. It had taken years of therapy to undo some of the things you were taught, but some things (like being afraid to express just how good you felt during sex or masturbation) were harder to let go of.

When you’d finished up with the rest of your shower, you made your way over to the sink to quickly brush your teeth just to get that overnight flight feeling out of your mouth.

It gave you a second to let your body dry since you weren’t able to walk naked back to your own room so that your body could dry over time.

After your lotion was applied and you felt dry enough, you reached for the little black pajama set you’d brought with you. 

It wasn’t until you unfolded the bottoms that you realized your mistake. 

You hadn’t brought your black sleep pants and long sleeve sleep shirt matching set with you to keep you warm, you’d brought your little black sleep shorts and matching tank top instead.

It hit you like a ton of bricks as you stared at the fabric that you were going to have to wear one of your most revealing pajama sets in front of your boss. 

It wasn’t like you’d brought lingerie, but the way the shorts fell just below the curve of your ass was scandalous enough that it could be considered lingerie to some. 

An anxious feeling washed over you as you realized that the tank top had a little lace cut out just below the bust, no wider than two fingers and not high enough to actually show anything, but it was still risky enough that he would see some of your breasts if he was looking when you moved around. 

A soft knock broke you from your stupor, and you nearly dropped your pajamas to the floor, catching them last minute as you tried to calm yourself down. 

“Just wanted to see if you’re okay in there.” He called out. “It’s been a minute-”

“Just finishing up.” You cleared your throat, wincing at just how squeaky your voice sounded. “Sorry.” 

“Don’t be.” He said. “Take your time, sweetheart.” 

You closed your eyes, groaning at the new term of endearment. 

Joe wasn’t helping your situation, the burning ache in your core dull now after you found release, but not quite gone. You clutched your pajamas to your chest, squeezing your eyes shut and taking a few deep breaths as you gave yourself a mental pep talk. 

It was going to be fine, and Joe probably wouldn't even notice. 

You pulled the towel off your head, hanging it up on the back of the door before you tended to your hair, going through the motions while trying your best not to let your nerves get to you.

It was a last ditch effort at buying you some time, but unfortunately, your travel routine was a lot shorter than your home routine, so it didn’t take as long.  

After putting away your things, you decided the best thing to do was to just go for it, to walk out like nothing was out of the ordinary. You paused with your hand around the door knob, taking one final deep breath before pushing the bathroom door open and walking directly to your suitcase in the living room.

You didn’t bother to look at Joe where he sat at the kitchen table with his chin propped up on a bottle of water. 

There was a thunk against the kitchen table, and you squeezed your eyes shut as Joe cursed under his breath. Of course he would notice that your bare legs were out in the middle of January, and you were naive to think he wouldn’t.

You tried to focus on putting your toiletry bag and airport clothes away as Joe cleared his throat, but you were still anxious to know what he was thinking. You stood up, brushing your palms over your thighs before turning around and pulling a chair out. 

You reached for your bag, fishing out your laptop as Joe continued to stare at you from the other side of the table with his mouth open. If you didn’t say anything, maybe you could avoid the awkward conversation that was sure to follow. You looked at the table, searching for your phone so you could text Poppy to set up a time to talk. 

When you reached out to grab your phone, leaning over the table just a little, Joe moved your phone before you could get it, mouth snapping shut and a furrow between his brows. 

“Who’s Louis?” Joe asked, his voice gruff . “You missed a call, and he’s been texting-”

“Louis is a friend that lives in Paris.” You said it slowly, eyes narrowing as Joe pursed his lips, nodding like he didn’t believe you. “Can I have my phone back now?”

“So, you had plans for Paris?” He asked. “With Louis and that…”

He glanced down at your pajama set, swallowing before he slowly let his eyes trail back up to meet yours. Heat rushed over you, and your mouth fell open with an indignant scoff. Joe raised his brows in question, like he didn’t understand why you’d be upset by his question.

“I don’t know what you mean by that, but it’s none of your business.” You cleared your throat, holding your hand out for your phone. “You need a shower and I need my phone.” 

“How do you know Louis?” Joe doubled down, keeping your phone in his hand. “Where did you meet?”

“He’s a friend of Poppy’s from New York.” You sighed, lowering your hand. “Joe, whatever this is, you can’t-”

“Did you pack that for him?” He asked. “Or did you plan on meeting someone here?” 

“You’re an asshole.” You pushed your chair back, reaching for your laptop. “I don’t deserve to be talked to like this, Joe.” 

“I-”

“You have no right to be jealous! I’m not your girlfriend, Joe.” You snapped. “Have I ever judged you for the women you dated or question your actions with them? Even when they were rude and shallow? When they treated you terribly? No, I didn’t, because it wasn’t my place to do so.” 

Joe looked up at you, narrowed eyes widening with each word. 

“I don’t like the thought of you wearing something like that for someone else.” He whispered, pushing your phone towards your side of the table. “I know I don’t have the right to be jealous, but I am.” 

You sighed, sitting back down with a huff. 

“Not that I owe you an explanation, but I packed the wrong pajamas.” You mumbled, toying with your fingers. “I meant to bring warmer ones.” 

“Even if you did pack it for someone else, it’s none of my business, you’re right.” He said. “You’re single, and you have the right to do whatever you want with whomever you want.”   

You bit back a smile at his pout, his eyes cast down to the table as he ran his finger over the grain like a child who had just been reprimanded. He glanced up at you through dark lashes, his puppy dog eyes in full effect.

You were still pissed, but you couldn’t blame him for letting his emotions get the better of him. There were times in the past where you almost did the same thing, but you were better at biting your tongue than he was.

“I have a confession to make, and I never want to hear about it again after today. I don’t owe you an explanation, but seeing as we’re…closer now, I would like to share this with you.” You inhaled sharply, sitting up a little straighter as your tummy started to churn. “It’s been a while since I’ve been with someone. So no, I didn’t intend to meet up with Louis for that.” 

The tip of Joe’s ears turned bright red, and his cheeks pushed up as his lips wobbled, fighting off a smile. 

“Oh, okay.” He cleared his throat, brushing his hand over his mouth again. “So…okay, yeah.” 

“Yeah.” You tapped your knuckles against the tabletop, trying not to look in his direction as he continued to nod excessively. 

“Thank you for feeling comfortable enough to share that with me.” He stood up, awkwardly tugging at his shirt and running his hands over his pants. “I, um, that’s cool.” 

“Cool?” You asked, brows shooting up. “I don’t think anyone would consider my unintentional celibacy to be cool.” 

“I don’t know what to say.” He confessed, eyes wide. “I’m a terrible excuse for a gentleman because all I can think about right now is those shorts and the fact that you-”

“That I’m practically a virgin?” You teased, holding back a laugh as Joe choked on air, smacking his chest. “Just go take your shower, Joe.” 

“Right.” He turned on his heel, pausing halfway and turning back. “And I’m sorry for being an asshole and questioning you when it wasn’t my place. You didn’t deserve that.” 

“I didn’t.” You nodded. “And thank you for your apology.” 

“Yeah.” He sighed, looking down at your pajama top again with a sharp inhale. “By the way, if it wasn’t obvious by my caveman reaction, I think you look really beautiful. I mean, you’d look gorgeous in a paper bag, but this is…you look lovely.” 

“Thanks, Joe.” You chuckled. “Get out of here.” 

He nodded, turning in the direction of the shower. 

“Oh, Joe.” You stopped him. “Just to let you know, the walls are a little…thin, so maybe keep it down in there.”

You shot him a wink, watching his face get red again, a groan spilling from his lips. 

“Have fun!” You called out. 

“You’re an evil, evil woman.”

                      *************

Joe felt like he was on fire. 

He’d been around some of the most beautiful women in the world before, but nothing had ever made him feel the way he did when he looked at you. He felt like a livewire, like the slightest touch would set him off, but only if it was you touching him. He tried to think about anything other than the smooth expanse of your thighs in those tiny shorts. 

He bit back a moan, squeezing the base of himself with his thumb and forefinger to ease some of the pressure building up. Pre-cum flowed from the tip, coating the angry red tip of his cock. He felt pathetic for needing to do this. He had no right to be touching himself to the thought of you while you were just a few walls away from him.

He remembered what you said about the walls being thin, but he couldn’t care less about that as he released a breathy moan. Part of him hoped that you heard him, that you heard what you were doing to him so you could understand just how gone he was for you. 

How much he wanted you and only you.

The other part caused guilt to fester in his chest, heavy like lead as he thought about the look on your face when he brought up Louis. He knew he had no right to be jealous, but that didn’t mean that he wasn’t. It hit him like a truck when a picture of you and Louis popped up on your screen when he called.

The two of you standing together in front of the eiffel tower with your cheeks pressed together and big smiles made Joe feel a burning that he’d never felt before. He had his moments in past relationships, but never to this extent. 

He was aware that it was a little crazy, and very out of line, but he couldn’t help himself when he saw you walk out in those sinful sleep shorts like nothing was wrong, like Louis wasn’t blowing up your phone just an hour after you touched down in his city.

When you bent over to put your things away, he had to look away to keep himself from getting hard at the kitchen table. It was torture, watching the way your body moved as you hinged at the hip, the curve of your ass peeking out from the black fabric. 

He closed his eyes, tilting his head back as he thought about you lying on your stomach in those shorts, your thighs pressed together and waiting for him to use. He would make sure to lube them up with his spit, rubbing his fingers over the soft skin and between the crevice so there would be no resistance when he decided to nestle his cock between the plump flesh.

He could only imagine the sound of your moans.

Jealousy hit him again as he realized that there was someone who had the privilege of hearing you moan before, someone who fumbled the chance to worship you the way you deserved.

If Joe had the chance, and he hoped like hell he did, he would never be stupid enough to mess it up, to lose you. He’d spend the rest of his life making sure you knew just how perfect you were, how much he adored you. 

He shook his head, letting his fingers tighten before he started dragging them over his shaft in slow twisting motions. He tried to picture anything else, from the sight of Sam’s dirty socks littered around the tour bus to his least favorite food, oatmeal.

Nothing could stop the blood rushing through his veins right now. He was a man possessed by need.

His mind drifted back to his vision, and he wondered if you’d let him finish over the back of your thighs. His hand sped up, thumb brushing over that sensitive ridge just below the head as he thought about the way his cum would pool into those little dips and dimples on the back of your thighs.

He’d have no problem leaning down to clean it up, leaving marks with his teeth and bruises that would stay for a few days as a reminder of just how badly he wanted you. 

He tossed his head back, biting so hard into his cheek he was worried that he’d start tasting blood. He tilted his head down as his cum washed down the drain and shame washed over him. He dropped his head down to the tiles, squeezing his eyes shut. 

Joe had only felt this way about one other person before, devoted and obsessed with everything about her because he thought she was the one. 

He knew now that was nothing compared to how he felt for you. That was a farce compared to the way he felt about you.

He knew that he’d do anything keep you, even if that meant burning down his own career and walking away from his dream.

You’d never ask him to, but if that’s what it took, he’d do it without question. 

“Fuck.” He whispered, pushing himself up. 

Your body wash caught his attention, and he smirked as he reached for the bottle. 

Surely you would notice that some of your travel sized body wash was depleted, but he’d buy you more. He lathered himself up, inhaling as the scent of you surrounded him like a warm blanket.

When he stepped out, he made sure to use the matching lotion, hoping that you’d notice and tell him off for using your things without asking. 

He loved seeing this version of you, the one that wasn’t hesitant to tell him off when he was pestering you.

Before, you would have gritted your teeth and went along with it like it didn’t bother you. He was proud of you for standing your ground, even if it would piss him off in return. He liked seeing you with a fire behind your eyes. 

When he came out of the bathroom, rubbing his towel over the damp strands of his hair, he saw you lying on the settee with a throw blanket over your legs. Your legs were too long, draped over the setting arm rest. He rolled his eyes, walking over to stand over you.

“You’re so stubborn.” He mumbled between a breath laugh.

You were completely asleep, nose twitching as you twisted around. He tried not to watch as the blanket fell, your tank top sliding up just a little and exposing the softness of your tummy. 

He wanted to bite the skin there, to bury his face in your softness and hide away from the world. He let out a sigh, reaching down to brush his fingertips over the silvery stretchmarks on your skin before pulling the top down and adjusting it properly.

He pulled the blanket up to your shoulder, leaning down to press a kiss over your temple before he turned to move the coffee table from in front of the small couch. 

If you were adamant you weren’t going to share a bed, Joe would just have to move things around so you’d at least have to share the room. He pulled the duvet off the queen sized mattress along with two pillows and made his way back to the living room.

He dropped them to the floor, lowering himself down with a groan before looking up. 

He shifted around on the hard floor, huffing and puffing for a few minutes before he finally decided sleeping on his back was the better option. He knew he’d feel it the second he woke up, but it was worth it if it meant he got to be close to you. 

“Goodnight.” He whispered to the ceiling, letting his eyes drift shut. 

He heard you grumble in your sleep, something sounding like words but not quite. 

you got in the car, kojiro didn’t even notice your off behavior. he put a hand on your thigh in the car and gave you a kiss on the cheek.

“today was fun, yeah?” he turned on the car and began to back out of cherry’s driveway to go home.

“mhm,” you mumbled back, looking out the window. he was confused, but he brushed it off maybe thinking you were tired from the day.

“so…when do you think we should do that again? maybe we can invite langa and reki next time?” he tried to lighten the air.

but you kept shutting it down, only replying with a: “yeah” or “mhm” or sometimes, just a nod of your head.

once you got home you instantly went to your shared bedroom with a slam of the door. he huffed and threw his arms up in the air in confusion.

he mumbled a few curses under his breath in frustration, but he walked up to your room and knocked.

“hey, you okay?” he asked as he opened the door and walked in. you were sitting on the bed.

you knew you couldn’t stay mad at him forever, not when he’s wrapping his arm around your shoulder sympathetically.

you wiped the few tears that threatened to fall. “i just- i don’t like it when girls are constantly around you,” you expected endless apologies and affirmations.

but instead, he unwrapped his arm from your shoulder and scoffed. “what? i cant help that girls are around me all the time.”

your mouth dropped agape and your eyebrows furrowed. “e-excuse me? i’m trying to tell you how i feel and you’re literally dismissing it! what, because you want-what? female attention!”

“just because you’re insecure that doesn’t mean i can’t hangout with other people,” he scoffed. “you’re being so annoying right now.”

he didn’t look back at you until he heard sniffles. “wait i’m- i-“

“i’m going to go since, you know, i’m annoying,” you got up and walked out the room. joe sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

after a while, once he talked to cherry about it, he goes to talk to you to apologize for the way he was acting.

you sat on the couch, arms crossed with your cheeks puffed as you watch tv. he smiles, he thinks you look adorable.

he comes up behind you and hugs you. “m sorry. you’re not annoying, and you weren’t being insecure. i’d be the same way seeing guys drool over ya.”

you simply sighed, not quite ready to forgive him yet. “you’re forgetting something.”

he made his way around the couch and layed his head on your chest. “and i love you.”

you ran your fingers through his hair, “mhm. i love you too.”

langa hasegawa

he’s usually so calm with you, patient, always waiting and willing to listen to your view of the story to make sure you’re most comfortable with him at all times.

but when he started to practice more, then he started to invite reki everywhere.

you adored reki, but you wanted some time with you and your boyfriend to yourself. you barely have any time anymore to yourselves.

you met him at his apartment, his mom was gone at work and you studied while you waited.

when he came back, it was pretty late. you turned towards him and gave a soft smile. “hey hon.”

“hey, you’re here late,” he hung up his work shirt on a hanger and changed into what he usually would wear to S.

“wa-wait are you leaving?” you asked, standing up. he furrowed his eyebrows. he usually leaves once work is done.

“yeah?”

“i just thought we could spend some time together,” you said quietly. he paused, “but we spend time together already.”

your heart paused for a moment. it was clear already he wasn’t going to see your point. you hesitated to reply, “yes.. but when we do, reki is always along. i thought we could have time to ourselves, maybe to watch a movie and something?”

“i fail to see your point.” he shot your statement down right away. “we hang out everyday, with reki or not we’re still together.”

you swallowed the thick lump in your throat. “langa, you don’t understand-“

“look, i really don’t have time right now and you’re being quite annoying about this topic. i promised i would meet reki and miya five minutes ago. you’re being quite a handful right now.”

and with that, he left. you rubbed your face in frustration and decided to leave. you didn’t even bother to leave a note or shoot him a text.

you were really upset that he excused his feelings. but, to avoid further argument of you being a ‘handful’ you decided to give him some space.

langa wasn’t that affectionate in public to begin with. a small hand hold, or head kiss was fine enough. but now, it seemed like you would want someone in between you two when walking.

one day, he asks you to come over. you were scared, you didn’t want to break up, and you figured that’s what he wanted to talk about. you just wanted to give him space.

so when you made your way into his room and sat next to him, you just broke down. the whole week of avoiding him was hell enough, but too add to it your mom was mad at you, you had too much homework, and you were overwhelmed with work.

he wrapped his arm around you and comforted you. “hey, hey what’s wrong? why have you been avoiding me all week?”

“because—“ when you went to explain yourself you realized how stupid you felt. you put your face in your hands. “i feel dumb saying why.”

he shushed you and rubbed the side of your arm. “it’s not dumb if it made you avoid me for a week. you can tell me, promise.”

“last week you called me annoying and a handful. i just didn’t want to be annoying to you so i thought giving you space would help. i was scared to tell you how i felt since when i did you just went off to skate with reki after i told you i was upset about that.”

he pause for a second to take your words in, then he sighed. “i was being a jerk, and i didn’t mean any of it. i’m sorry for dismissing your feelings, how you feel is totally valid and i’ll try working on it. you aren’t annoying, okay?” he pushed your hair away from your face to cup it so he could kiss your nose.

“how about we watch the movie you wanted to last week, yeah?”

reki kyan

reki was back into his seasonal depression episode. it usually happens towards the winter, where school gets stressful, skating also gets stressful where he wants to do nothing but lay around.

langa and miya have told you about his seasonal depression, but you didn’t think it would be as bad as it is.

his mother stood in the doorway, “oh, good, you’re here! reki is in his room, he’s going through a tough time right now.”

you nodded and walked past her. you creeped open the door and knocked on it with your knuckle.

he didn’t look good. his hair was a mess, his clothes were dirty, and it looks like he had just woke up.

at 12:10pm.

“reki..” you sighed and walked over to him. you sat by his legs and brushed his hair with your fingers. “honey i know it’s tough, but why don’t you take a shower?”

he groaned. “no. cant.”

you weren’t sure how to comfort him. you wanted to give him what he wanted, and leave him be, but you knew he would never get better then.

before you could even say anything he spoke up. “why are you guy even here?”

“langa told me that you were having a tough time..” you trailed, still playing with his hair.

something in him must have snapped, because he wacked your hand away and sat up abruptly. “i am, so i think you should leave.”

you scoffed slightly. “reki, i know you’re going through a tough time but you can’t speak to me like that, i just want to help.”

“we’ll clearly you’re not helping so leave,” his eyes stared you down. your entire happy mood of trying to help him and being excited to be with your boyfriend was ruined.

“bottling up how you feel won’t help reki!”

he groaned and ran his fingers through his hair. “fine! you want me to tell you how i feel?” he yelled.

you flinched slightly at him yelled and swallowed the lump in your throat. you just looked down at your lap while he stood up in front of you.

“how i feel is that you’re annoying and clingy! i cant ever have a moment to myself, you always try to act like you need me! you don’t need me and i don’t need you!” his breath was heavy and his voice cracked as he yelled at you.

you sobbed. you didn’t-couldn’t say anything. you just got up and left. he sighed, irritated and ran his fingers through his hair again. he felt the warm spot in the back of his head, the spot where you were petting, trying to comfort him.

he knew he screwed up. so the week after that, he gave you flowers, apologies, kisses, and affirmations to make you feel how you did before.

but it could never heal what he did say to you, those words stuck with you. so now you always try to give him space. you try not to be annoying, and clingy like he said. the week of sweet things he did for you wasn’t enough to fix the wounds he’s caused.

“you’ve been really spacious recently. is everything alright?” he asked one night while you two were cuddling in his room. you were actually quite far away from him.

he was feeling pretty touch starved, and craved your touch. but all you replied with was a “mhm, i’m fine.”

“are you sure? you can always talk to me.”

all the emotions you tried to keep from him finally let out. you covered your face, embarrassed, as you cried.

he quickly hugged you, “hey you can tell me what’s wrong.”

“do you really think i’m annoying and clingy?” you asked.

he remembered that night, making him upset you believed his words that he didn’t even mean. “no! oh, God, of course no! honey, you’re not annoying or clingy.”

“you sure..?”

You were standing in the kitchen trying to figure out if you wanted a warm drink, a snack, or both. Unfortunately, it was the middle of the night. Which meant Joe was sleeping so you had to choose something that wouldn’t wake him up. But this was the problem of being an author, inspiration hit at the worst times and left as soon as it came. So, here you were at 2am. You did write in your novel but could only get a couple hundred words out. You had wanted to get at least a thousand done that night. You could only do so much. You kept in your thoughts as the music from your little speaker sofly filled the room and you swayed to it’s beat.

“Are you procrastinating?” Joe’s voice pulled you out of your head. You spun around and shrugged. He was only in sweatpants and you were in one of his shirts, not wearing pants. He loved seeing you in his clothes. They hung so nicely on you and it warmed his heart. You stepped closer to him and put your arms around his neck. His hands instinctively went to your waist.

“Sort of,” you said as you played with the hair at the nape of his neck. “I mean I did write something but-”

“But you wrote something and that’s more than what you had last night,” Joe reassured you. You smiled at his words.

“You’re not wrong,” you replied. Then, one of your guys’ favorite slow songs by Queen came on.

“When am I ever wrong?” He had a grin on his face as he pulled you closer.

He gently set his forehead on yours as your bodies pressed close together. He gently kissed you as you two started swaying to the song. You gazed into his eyes when he pulled away, wondering how you got so lucky to have someone like him. He thought the same. His one hand remained at your waist as he took one of your hands in the other. You then rested your head on his chest as you two continued to sway along to the song.

“I love you,” you whispered.

He pecked the top of your head, “I love you too, babe.”

He then spun you around causing you both to laugh. He started lead by dancing with you from the kitchen to the dining room. He then dipped you carefully to the song. When he pulled you back up, he pulled you into a kiss. The song filled the room as your lips danced together. Then a thought popped into your head.

“Babe,” you pulled away and looked at him, into his eyes, “did I wake you?”

“No,” he smiled, “I couldn’t get to sleep without you.”

“Well, I mean, we can go to bed. I ran out of inspiration juice so,” you said.