every time i look at you || joe burrow x reader
description: who knew that an unexpected relationship with a guy you never thought you’d be with would be the happiest, healthiest, and most special relationship in your life? you feel like you’re in high school ;)
a/n: in honor of mr quarterback throwing for the first time since November (publicly). so excited to see him ball ;) this may or may not have been inspired by a song i recently fell in love with.. (cough so high school cough)
alot of flashbacks/reflections to certain moments in this fic because of how the song goes!
-------------------------------------------------------
You took a deep breath, taking in the salty aroma of your favorite beach as your feet were covered in sand. You and Joe had rented a beach house on your Hometown beach for a few weeks and had invited all your cousins over for a few days, so you were soaking up the last few moments in the sand before you had to get everything ready.
“Y/N, they said that they’re about 30 minutes out!” Joe yelled from the patio. “Come inside so we can get everything set up,”.
“Okay,” you yelled back, looking over at him. His hair was in its ‘post ocean water’ state, slightly messy but perfect at the same time. You both had taken a little dip in the ocean earlier together and he decided to let his hair be, which you approved of since you loved his beach hair. The golden sun was shining right onto him and he was practically glowing.
You got up off the sand and made your way inside the house, making sure to wipe your feet on the mat outside since you had just cleaned. Joe had his back to you as you walked into the kitchen. He had ordered some food, making sure to ask your cousins what they liked and only getting that, and was getting all of it ready for everyone.
“I’m just gonna put out the snack-type food for now so the rest doesn’t get cold,” he says.
“Okayy,” you sing song, admiring your boyfriend for a few moments and taking in all the little details. For starters, the atmosphere. Joe had gotten all the right foods, alcohol, and games for your little beach reunion. You and your older cousins used to go down to the beach for a few weeks every summer, but after everyone got too old and had adult responsibilities, it became very hard to schedule. So, when you told Joe about how you’d spend your previous summers, he was adamant about having your cousins over for a few days during your own beach trip, and that meant the world to you. He had taken the reigns and planned everything out based off of the things you told him, and he did great.
Secondly, Joe himself. Other than the fact that he looked like a Greek God right now, he was being the most perfect boyfriend and lover to you, and making you feel so giddy inside. You had been here for a week already and you felt like you were being transported back to high school. You would go on a beach trip every summer, but usually to Florida or Malibu, but this year Joe wanted to experience the summers you would non-stop talk about. So that’s exactly what you did. You took him to all your favorite spots such as the pier, the arcade, the cute shops, and the restaurants, and made sure he had some of the best boardwalk fries you have ever had. The entire week felt like you were back in high school, doing the same things with your friends, but this time with the most special person in the world and he was enjoying the hell out of it. He felt like he was 17 again and running off to the beach with his friends from sunrise to sunset (even if it was quite a few hours away), just like you would do.
You didn’t realize how long you were staring at him until he playfully threw a chip at your face, causing you to flinch.
“Did I lose you there?” he laughs while leaning against the oven.
“Yeah,” you smile. “Sorry, were you saying something?”.
“Oh, I just said we should hit the pier later tonight if we can. I remember you saying that you guys loved going down there at night since the rides would be the most fun in the dark,” he says.
“Oh it is a must,” you emphasize.
“Mhm. Also, quick question,”.
“Shoot,” you say back, eating the chip he threw at you.
“Why were you staring at me like that just now? Did you need to say something?” he says before launching off the oven and over to you.
“Oh, nooo reason,” you giggle as he wraps his arms around your waist, and your arms around his neck.
“Sureee,” he says while rolling his eyes.
“It was nothing important, I swear,” you say while pressing a kiss onto his nose.
“If you say so,” he says, repeating the action and kissing your nose. “You look gorgeous by the way,”.
You blushed at his words. You were wearing a pair of jean shorts and a lilac tank top, nothing crazy, but just enough for your boyfriend.
“Thank you, Joey,” you say as he pulls you in for a kiss. His hand slides up your waist and around to your back as he pushes you deeper into him. Your hands navigate to his hair as you begin to get lost in his embrace.
“Mm, Joe,” you whimper as you try to pull away, but his lips follow you, pulling you back into the heated kiss, and holding you tighter. He begins to suck on your bottom lip as his hands wander to your ass; you smile into the kiss as you knew exactly what this would lead to.
He pushes you against the counter and cups your ass to help you up onto the surface. You open up your legs to let him in between and hook them around his waist. Your tongues are tangled in your mouth and his hand moves down to unbutton your shorts.
“Joe, they’re gonna be here soon,” you say as you get him to break away by cradling his face. “We still have a lot to do,”.
“We can be quick,” he whispers against your lips.
“Mm, I doubt that. The fastest we’ve done it was probably 30 minutes,” you chuckle.
He stares into your eyes briefly before sighing, “Fine, but we are finishing this later. I don’t care if your family is under the roof, we’ll go outside if we have to,”.
“Deal,” you giggle, giving him a deep kiss to show your appreciation.
A few hours later, your cousins–Sydney, James, Bella, and Micheal–get settled into the house, and you all are gathered on the patio drinking and eating. Non-stop laughter echoes through the air as you all catch up and tell funny stories. You take another sip of your drink as you find yourself staring at your boyfriend once again. He was sitting next to you on the loveseat, your free-hands fingers entwined, as he was telling everyone a funny story about the first time he saw you. It was a pretty embarrassing but cute story, one that always showed off Joe’s adorable little crinkles around his eyes whenever he would tell it.
You were in the library, cramming to finish your research paper on Metaphysics for your Philosophy class, and had completely lost track of time and forgot that you had to be at your best friend’s apartment to help her get ready for her date. Stacks of books were dispersed around your workspace and a big warm cup of coffee was the only thing keeping you sane. You glanced over to the clock and noticed that it was 2:30 and you were supposed to be at her apartment 10 minutes ago.
“Fuck,” you whispered, a feeling of panic washing over you.
You hurried to close your laptop and gathered your books to put them in your bag. You grabbed your cup of coffee and rushed to the stairs to head downstairs, but just your luck, you ran into a book cart on the way and spilled your coffee all over the extremely expensive college textbooks on it.
“Shit,” you said as you saw the librarian walk over to you, a scowl on her face.
“What on earth happened here,” the librarian said. The tone in her voice sends chills down your spine.
“I- I am so sorry,” you said while trying to salvage the textbooks, which was no use since the majority of them had coffee seeping through the pages.
“You college kids and your coffee. Do you realize how expensive these textbooks are?,” she lectured.
“I didn’t mean to spill my coffee on the books, I swear. I was in a rush because I have somewhere to be and completely missed the bookcart,” you explained.
“That’s what they all say,” she said as she cleaned up the spilled coffee. “There are at least 4 fully damaged books. You’re going to have to pay for these,”.
Your eyes widen, “That’s like 450 dollars!”.
“Should have thought about that before bringing coffee in here,” she said while pointing over to the big ‘no food or drinks allowed’ sign.
“Come with me, we can get you billed for them at the front desk,” she said, motioning you to follow her.
How the fuck were you supposed to pay for these textbooks? Your paycheck from your job at the School Store doesn’t even hit until next week and it definitely was not enough to cover textbook fees since you had 50 other things to do with that money. You accepted your fate and were about to walk with the librarian until you felt a warm and muscular arm around your waist.
“That won’t be necessary Ms. Cindy,” he said. “You see, this is my girlfriend and she was on her way to meet me at the FroYo place down the street for our date,” he added.
“Punctuality was never her strong suit,” he whispered, causing the librarian to chuckle. “Anyways, that’s why she spilled her coffee on these books. It’s pretty much all my fault so if you’re going to charge someone, charge me,”.
You were too nervous to look up because that voice sounded all too familiar, a voice you had heard on screens across campus many times, and you refused to accept reality. There was no way this was actually happening.
“Oh! That won’t be necessary Joe,”.
“I didn’t know you had a girlfriend,” she smiled.
“Me either,” you whispered.
“What was that?” Joe said while gently squeezing your waist, making you look up at him.
“I- Um,” you stumbled while anxiously searching his eyes for an answer. Something about his eyes calmed you down and you went along with the act. “Yup, he’s my boyfriend,” you said while smiling at the librarian.
“Ahh, Joey finally got a girl,” she teased.
He laughed at her words and you laughed along. Why was he helping you? You don’t even know each other.
“I’ll come back later about the books, we’re a little late for our date. Right, Babe?” he said while giving you a wink.
“Yup! That FroYo is calling my name. Sorry about the books Ms. Cindy,” you say while giving her a sincere smile.
“Oh, no worries Dear! You both go on ahead and enjoy your date,” she says.
Joe gives her a nod and tells her goodbye as he leads you down the stairs and out of the library, still gripping your waist. He finally lets go and moves to face you.
“Thank You,” you quickly say, praying that he wouldn’t make fun of you.
“Anytime…I didn’t catch your name?” he says while putting his hands in the pockets of his purple LSU football shorts.
“Anytime, Y/N,” he smiles. “You looked like you needed some saving and I am one of Ms. Cindy’s favorites so,” he says with a shrug.
“Yeah, I was wondering what that was about. She was quick to forget those 450 dollars,” you giggle.
“Me and Ms. Cindy go waaay back. She really helped me out when I transferred here from Ohio State and had literally no idea what the hell I was doing on Campus. She’s basically my Mom down here. I’m pretty much her favorite college student ever,” he laughed.
“Mmmm, that makes sense. Your charm is pretty hard to beat,” you blush.
“Thanks,” he replied while bouncing on his feet. Was he nervous? That was something you’d do whenever you’d get nervous.
“But seriously, thank you for saving my ass back there. How can I repay you?”.
“Hmm, how about that FroYo date girlfriend?” he smirks.
Your stomach fluttered at his question. There was no way in hell the quarterback of the LSU Tigers, the QB1, was asking you to get FroYo with him. You? Some random girl he helped at the library that he’d literally never seen before?
“Oh, um. Are you sure? I mean you probably have somewhere to be and-,”.
“Actually, I just got done film study. And I know that you are free too because you’re def late to wherever you were in a rush to go to,” he interrupts.
You stay silent and look at him for a few seconds. “And, I would love to know how we got to where we are right now,” he adds.
You think about his offer for a few seconds, contemplating if you should take the risk of doing whatever this was with him, but eventually, you say yes. “Okay, let’s get FroYo boyfriend,”.
“So you really think aliens are real,” you laugh.
“1000%,” Joe says as he takes another bite of his frozen yogurt. “There is literally no way that we’re the only things in the universe. I refuse to believe it. They’re too advanced to accidentally expose themselves so we probably won’t see them for a while,”.
“Fair point,” you laugh. Joe had been going on about space and aliens for about 10 minutes, and he was absolutely set on convincing you that they existed. You felt high on his interesting thoughts and felt drunk on the feeling that was overcoming you, and it was all because of him. Where were the cameras because you felt like you were living in a teenage rom-com and just had a meet-cute. “Maybe you’re an alien? I mean, I can’t think of any other dude on Campus that would randomly help a random girl at the library like you did,”.
He smiles at you and says, “Maybe I am? I guess we’ll never know,” he shrugs. “What was all that about anyway?”.
“I was caught up writing my essay about Metaphysics and completely forgot that I had to help my friend get ready for her date,”.
“Ah, I see. Did she get ready for her date fine? Ya know, since I stole you away for an impromptu date?”.
“I didn’t know this was actually a date,” you teased.
“It can be if we want it to be,” he says while giving you a wink. “I know I want it to be,”.
You felt like screaming at that moment. He really was being serious about this being a date. You were pretty unlucky in the college dating pool, most guys you met only want to hook up or be FWB, but Joe wasn’t giving either of those vibes, which was shocking considering he’s a football player. He felt different from the other guys, and you loved the way he was making you feel; so silly, shy, and like you were 16 again and were living out the dream of having a football player boyfriend in high school. But him being a football player was the least interesting thing about him. His nerdiness, charm, and normalness shined through which separated him from most guys. This made the risk of starting something with him less scary.
“I do too,” you say while taking another bite of your custard.
He was silently praying you would. Even though you just met, he thought you were the most stunning, genuine, and honest girl he had ever come across. This entire date had felt so relaxed and comfortable, something that was uncommon for him when he would go on a date with a girl. Most of them seemingly just wanted bragging rights as the “quarterback’s girl” or to hook up, and he wanted a real girlfriend, and you gave him that vibe.
“Anyways, she was just fine. I told her why I was skipping out on her and she was more than happy to get ready alone considering why I bailed,”.
He lets out a soft laugh before asking you about your essay. “So your essay, Metaphysics, that’s…?” he says while trying to recall where he heard that from.
“Right, Philosophy class,” he nods.
“Mhm. I love anything and everything psychology, sociology, and philosophy related,”.
“Nerdy, good to know,” he teases. “I think our second date should be at the art and science museum. I heard they have a pretty sick space exhibit right now and an impressive psych one,”.
Second date? He wanted to spend more time with you. Did he actually like you or was he just being nice?
“Second date?” you questioned.
“Uhh, Duh,” he said while putting his cup down and resting his arms on the table. “You’re super cool, funny, nerdy, and gorgeous. Why would I not want to do this again?”.
You blush at his words and your stomach has butterflies in it as he talks. You shake your head and say, “You’re not gonna let me go until I say yes, will you?”.
“Damn straight,” he says while raising his brows.
You let out a dramatic sigh, “Well, I suppose I’m free Friday night,”.
His face falls at your response. “Got a game that night. Quarterback duties,” he sighs.
You stay silent for a few seconds before he asks another question. “You could come to the game? I can snag you a ticket and one for your friend if you guys wanna sit front row in the stands on our side?”.
Your heart was beating so fast you thought it would pop out of your chest. He wanted you to come to his game and he was being serious. He was serious about all of it; a second date, spending more time with you, and even going to his game. Although you’ve been at LSU for longer than him, you have never attended a football game before. But maybe that should change.
“Sounds perfect. I would love to see you in action up close Mr. Quarterback. Gotta really make sure you know how to ball and that it’s not all talk,” you flirt.
“Oh, it’s not just talk,” he flirts back. “But that sounds good. We can do the museum on Saturday,”.
Friday Night – Tiger Stadium
“Holy Shit, that was a dime!” You screamed while jumping up and down, and bringing your friend Sophia along with you.
“He is too damn good,” she smiled.
Joe had just thrown his 4th Touchdown pass of the game, and the entire stadium was electric. You felt adrenaline rushing through your veins as you watched Joe tear it up on the field. He knew how to ball, and he knew how to do it well. You had been screaming and cheering the entire time that you were about to lose your voice.
“I seriously cannot believe you two are dating,” Sophia said while squeezing your arm.
“Woah, It was 1 date and we’re not even officially official. We’ll see how it goes,” you blushed.
“Mhmmm. Did you pick a wedding date yet? Ya know, I would like to save the date ahead of time,”.
“Ha ha,” you said while rolling your eyes at her.
“Or did you guys already talk about baby names? You would make the cutest babies on the planet,” she teased.
You couldn’t help but smile at her antics and were caught up in teasing each other so you didn’t even realize that Joe was walking over to the barricade where you were seated in front of. The game had ended and he managed to figure out where you were sitting and wanted to talk to you.
“He’s walking over,” she notices.
You whip your head back around to the field and catch him jogging over to you, helmet in hand and a big smile on his gorgeous face.
“I’m gonna go pee, let me know what’s up Mrs. Quarterback,” she winks, quickly exiting the row you were sitting in and leaving you alone.
You shake your head and look back over and Joe is standing right in front of you on the ground below. “Did you have fun?” he panted.
You leaned down to get closer to him, “Are you fucking kidding me. That was so much fucking fun. I don't think I've ever had this much fun at a sporting event, you killed it,” you smiled.
“Thank you, and I’m glad,” he said. “You look really pretty, by the way, the LSU purple and ‘9’ looks amazing on you,”.
“I’m glad you like it, I could get used to this. Purple might just be my new favorite color,” you tease.
“I mean, you look absolutely gorgeous in purple,” he nods. “I’ll be wrapped up here in like 30 minutes. If you’re free, we can go get something to eat after,”.
“I’d love to,” you said while reaching down and pressing a kiss on his cheek, causing him to blush.
A half-hour later, you meet Joe outside the stadium and he has an Uber ready for you both. You texted Sophia to let her know that you and Joe were hanging out so you’d see her tomorrow before your date with him.
You walk over to him and the car as he opens your door for you, making sure you get inside first.
“Thank You,” you say at the sweet gesture as you climb into the backseat.
He climbs in next to you, shutting the door and immediately pushing a button to close off the little window in the car that separates the driver from you both since it was a fancier Uber than you were used to.
You’re a little confused as to why he did that but before you could ask him, he pulls you closer by your waist, your legs tangled, and he presses his lips against yours. You stay absolutely still for a few seconds before moving your hand to the back of his head, pushing him closer to you. He begins to suck on your lips as you press yourself closer to him. His tongue pushes against your lips, begging for entrance. You open up your mouth and his tongue begins to explore yours and you do the same with him. His grip around you tightens as you feel butterflies flutter in your belly, the kiss turning hotter and messier by the second. Pure electricity between you both.
“Joe,” you whimper as he begins to kiss down to your neck.
Eventually, he pulls away, leaving both of you a little breathless.
“I’ve been waiting to do that all week,” he confesses, his lips a little swollen from the kiss.
“Well, I’m glad you decided to do it,” you whisper, pulling him back to you as you kiss him again, both of you grinning into the fiery kiss.
“Oh my god, that was the most embarrassing moment of my life,” you cackled.
“But, it was also the best. Without that, we wouldn’t be here,” Joe says as he brings your hand to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to it.
“I mean, who knew that we would end up here? I seriously thought you were going to ditch me after you got drafted to the Bengals,” you joked, only partially though.
“Ditch you for what? I have everything I’ve ever wanted and need right here,” he says as he squeezes your leg.
Flashback to Draft Night- Athens, Ohio
It was currently Draft Night, also the night that Joe’s life, and yours, would change forever. He already knew he was going to be the first overall pick, also knowing he was ending up in Cincinnati. Joe had told you before you both graduated that wherever he ended up, he wanted you to go with him. You thought he was just messing around, but he was being so incredibly serious and you were feeling it for real now.
After the graduation ceremony, Joe had decided to take you back to the FroYo place where you both had you first unofficial official date. He had been meaning to talk to you about your future plans for a few weeks, but never found the right time to bring up such an important subject. He thought it would be best to talk to you about it today, and where better to do it than where it all started.
You had gotten your FroYo and sat down at the same table you usually sat at and started digging in.
“I want to talk to you about something,” Joe said, his voice a little shaky and nervous.
You notice his demenour, put your cup down, and reached over to grab his hand, stroking his skin for comfort. “What’s up?” You ask.
“We just graduated,” he says.
“That we did,” you smile.
“And I declared for the draft,” he adds. Your smile drops a bit at his next sentance.
“That you did,” you said back.
He didn’t really know how to approach the subject, so he just decided to let it out. “Come with me,” he said.
“Come with you where?” You giggled.
“Wherever I end up. Whichever team and city drafts me. Go with me,” he says.
Your stomach does a backflip as you listen to him talk. He wanted you to go with him? You didn’t really know what was going to happen to your relationship after you graduated. You knew he was going to declare for the draft, and knew he was going to get drafted; but what you didn’t know was what was going to happen with you. A thought in the back of your mind was that he would breakup with you, and that thought scared the shit out of you. The thought of that happening was killing you, but he clearly had other plans.
“Really.” He says, squeezing your hand. “I need you with me. I love you so much and the thought of us being so far away from each other is bullshit. I can’t do this without you, Y/N,”.
You stay silent for a few seconds to collect your thoughts. If you went with him, you’d be living together. You’d have to find a Job in whichever city you’d end up in. It didn’t sound so bad. Actually, it sounded like a dream. You’d get to stay with the love of your life and get to embark on this journey together.
“Okay,” you smile after thinking about his offer for a few moments.
“I’ve never been more serious about anything in my life.” You say while staring into his ocean blue eyes which are filled with promise and love.
Flashforward back to Draft Night
“Are you excited?” You ask Joe as you sit next to him on the couch. The draft was virtual for the most part this year due to COVID-19, so you were enjoying draft night from the comfort of his parent's house.
“Excited, nervous, and a bit scared,” he laughs.
“Sounds about right. Your life is about to change,” you say as you press a kiss onto his cheek.
Butterflies flutter in your belly, “Right, our life,” you say as you get a warm feeling in your stomach.
“Did you hear back from the job you applied to in Cincy?” He asked.
“Not yet. Should be hearing back tomorrow. Buttt, I talked to one of my connections there and they said to be expecting a positive answer,” you beam.
“That’s amazing, Y/N. I'm so proud of you,” he says as he pulls you in for a hug.
You let out a laugh as he pulls you in tighter, “I can’t wait,”.
“Me either. It’s starting to feel real,” he says.
“Oh, it will feel realer when we go house hunting in Cincy on Sunday,” you say as you pull away from the hug.
Joe lets out a sigh, “Mm I can’t wait for the fun experience that’ll be,”.
“It won’t be super fun, but at least we’re doing it together,” you say, gazing lovingly into his eyes.
“And I’m very glad we are,” he says, pressing a kiss to your soft lips.
“Aww, you guys are so cute,” Sydney says.
"Agreed. I’ve never seen Y/N happier and more free like she is with you, Joe,” James adds as he takes a sip of his drink.
Joe looks over at you with a big smile, “Well, I’m lucky to have her,”.
You look over at him with so much love and comfort. No one has truly ever had you like he has. He brings out the best in you, and he has since day 1. Everyone can see it, and everyone can feel it too.
A little later, you all go back inside and go your own ways for a little bit for some guy and girl time. The boys are sitting on the couch and getting the Xbox set up to play Grand Theft Auto, while You, Sydney, and Bella are sitting at the Kitchen Island drinking some wine and having girl talk.
You look back over to Joe, who seems to be incredibly excited to play GTA with your cousins.
“So high school,” you giggle as you remember a similar instance from a few years ago.
Flashback to a few years ago
You had just gotten back from lunch with your friends and were making your way into your and Joe’s house. You walked into the kitchen to get a glass of water and saw Joe sitting on the couch, seemingly playing video games with his high school friends, something he would usually do on weekends.
You walk over to him and he sees you, so he puts his headset down and mutes himself. “Hey Babe, how was lunch?”.
“It was good, just the usual,” you say as you sit next to him on the couch.
He looks back over to you, taking in everything about you. You looked absolutely sexy in your white top and flowy pink short skirt; your hair was in two cute braids. “You look beautiful,” he says as he goes back to his game.
“Thank youuu,” you say as you fall back against the couch cushion, your skirt riding up your legs. You move your hand to his lower back and slip it under his shirt, rubbing the soft golden skin. A smirk graces his face as he leans back against the cushions like you are. His hand moved to your thigh, slowly creeping up to your core.
“It’s alright, they can’t hear you. And I owe you for this morning,” he says as he puts his headset back on and unmutes himself. He was referring to the early morning head you gave him before you left for your lunch. He wanted a little more, but that was all you had time for.
His fingers move under your skirt and hover over your already damp-panties. He slides them over to the side and feels your wetness. You let out a quiet moan as you move your hips closer to his hand. Your wetness allows him to easily slide his finger inside your core, causing you to let out another moan.
“Joe, shit,” you quietly moan.
He begins to pump his finger in and out of your slick heat as your breaths come out in short gasps. You move your hand to grip his forearm as he picks up the pace of his fingers, eventually adding another which was driving you insane.
“Oh my god,” you moan as you squirm in your seat.
You look over at him, a smile on his face and he was so casually talking to his friends through the headset, and had you a complete mess right next to him. He continued to pump his fingers into your core as your grip on his forearm tightened.
“Ahh,” you quietly moan as you throw your head back into the cushion. Your breathing turned heavier as his thumb grazed your clit and he started to rub your sensitive sweet spot. A few seconds later, you felt your walls clenching around his fingers.
“I’m gonna cum,” you whimpered. And as if on cue, he pinched your clit with his thumb and pumped another finger into your core, ultimately sending you straight over the edge.
“Joee,” you moaned as you came around his fingers.
“Joe’s a really great guy,” Bella says as she takes a sip of her wine, snapping you back to the present.
“Mhm, he really meshes with everyone so well,” Sydney adds as she pops a chip into her mouth.
“Yup. Andd he is absolutely amazing to you. He’s like your real-life prince charming that you would dream about in high school,” Bella says.
A blush creeps up your face as they continue to tell you how amazing he is. “He’s so down to earth and normal even though he’s a millionaire quarterback, it never fails to amaze me. And he is absolutely head over heels in love with you” Sydney says while patting your thigh.
“Yeah, he really is,” you say as you take a sip of your wine.
“I mean, it’s been like what, 5 or 6 years?” Sydney asks.
“5, almost 6 years of that everlasting blush and smile on your face. This is it, Y/N,” Sydney says, referring to what you had been dreaming about since you were little.
“Here comes the bride,” Bella Sing-Songs as she mimics a slow dance, causing you to break into a laugh.
“Bella’s right. Any wedding bells in the near future?” Sydney asks.
A smile creeps up your face as you look back over to Joe who is incredibly focused on the video game and chatting with your other cousins.
“Yeah actually. We have talked about it,” you say as you look back over to Sydney and Bella, a big smile on both of their faces.
You and Joe had been laying out on the pool chairs on the deck, soaking in a bit of the sun and hoping for a nice tan. You were laying there with your eyes closed as you suddenly felt a dip in your pool chair. You opened your eyes and Joe was kneeling on the chair.
“Think you can make some room?” he smiles.
“Always,” you say as you spread open your legs. Joe lays down in between them, the back of his head resting against your belly and his arms caressing your legs. You move your hands into his soft golden hair and let out a relaxed sigh as you feel so much peace at that moment. You closed your eyes again, but suddenly opened them at Joe’s question.
“Do you wanna get married?” he asks so casually.
“What,” you say, feeling a bit dazed.
“I said, Do you want to get married?” he laughs as he turns around in between your legs, moving a bit higher so that his head is resting on your chest now and his arms around your waist.
“Is this your way of proposing?” you giggle as you look down at him.
“Well, No. I don’t have a ring yet and when I do propose, it will definitely be more memorable. But would you want to marry me?”.
You stay silent for a few seconds, a million thoughts in your head. Was this really happening? You had dreamt of your wedding since you were 5 years old, and now you had someone who wanted to make that a reality. And it wasn’t just any ‘someone’, it was Joe, your Joe. Your boyfriend, best friend, and favorite human.
“Of course I would,” You smile as he looks back up at you.
“Really?” he asks while raising his eyebrows.
“Really. I couldn’t think of a better person to spend my life with. You are quite literally my dream boy and I am so fucking glad I spilled that coffee on those textbooks in the Library at LSU. It brought me you,” you say as you rub his back.
“I love you,” he says as he presses kisses onto your chest.
“I know things are a bit crazy right now with football and everything and I want you to focus on your goals first, so whenever the time is right and the time comes, I’ll be right here,” you add.
Joe lifts his head off of your chest, moves to your face, and starts to press kisses all over your lips. “I love you so much,” he says in between kisses.
“I love you too, future husband,” you say.
“Awwww,” your cousins said in Unison.
“So yeah,” you breathe out. “It’s gonna happen when it happens,” you shrug.
“Well, I have a feeling it’s gonna happen soon. My intuition has never failed me,” Sydney says.
“Syd’s right. You remember when her intuition said that the Zipper ride at the pier was going to break down mid-ride and that we shouldn’t go on it? And then 15 minutes later what happened?”
“You guys are too much,” you giggle as you get off the barstool and put the empty glasses in the sink.
“Can’t help it. Baby Cousin is gonna be a Wifeyyyy,” Bella teases as she hops off the barstool and grabs your arms, and twirls you around.
“Shut up,” you laugh as she pulls you in for a hug.
“Yo, you guys ready to go to the pier?” Micheal asks from the living room.
You lift your head up and say, “Um, is that even a question,”.
“Joe, you and Y/N can go in your car, we all can take the other one,” Sydney says.
“Sounds good,” he says as he walks over to the counter to grab the keys and then grabbing your hand. He presses a kiss to your forehead as he leads you out to the driveway.
You and Joe are in the car and on the way to the Boardwalk where the pier is. Joe’s hand rests on your thigh and your hands are playing with his soft fingers.
“You having fun?” he asks.
“I am,” you smile. “Thank you so much for doing this,”.
“Hey, they’re my family too,” he says while giving your thigh a soft squeeze.
You look over at Joe for a few moments. God, your life was perfect. You could not ask for anything more, it couldn’t get better than this. He was truly the best thing that could have ever happened to you. Your family loved him, your friends loved him, you loved him. The way he makes you feel cannot be replicated by anyone else. Truly one of a kind.
“Y/N, you’re staring at me again,” Joe laughs as he notices you gazing at him.
“Well… You gonna tell me why this time?” he asks, looking back over at you.
You let out a content sigh, “I just feel so high school every time I look at you,”.
“I’m gonna pretend like I know what you’re talking about,” he says while parking the car.
“I feel so high school with you, like I’m 16 again. I’m dating a quarterback who absolutely loves everything about me. I never thought I would be dating him, it was really unexpected. I never would have had the courage to make a move, but he did. You knew what you wanted and boy, you got her” you beam. "I'm living a teen rom-com right now,".
Joe turns off the car and looks at you, his mouth slightly open and his eyes filled with nothing but love. His heart fluttered at your words. You were it for him. He wanted nothing more and he felt at peace knowing you felt the same about him.
“Y/N,” he whispers as his hand cups your cheek.
“I love you, Joe. Thank you for making my dream a reality,” you say as you move closer to him.
He leans over the center console and slowly inches closer to your lips, eventually capturing them in a sweet kiss. The neon lights from the Ferris Wheel reflected onto the car, casting a glow on both of you. This felt like something straight out of high school. You were sitting in the car with the man of your dreams, at the beach where you would spend countless hours of your youth, a memory-filled place, and you were sharing it with your special person.
You pulled away after a few seconds, a smile bigger than ever before on your face. “You know how that felt?”.
“So High School,” he responded with a smile.
“So High School,” you nodded as you pulled him back to you for another kiss, both of you smiling into it.
Suddenly you heard a few smacks on the window and some yelling, causing you and Joe to pull away.
“Come onnn Love-Birds!” James yells.
“We don’t have all night!” Bella screams as your Cousins walk over to the pier entrance.
“You guys can make babies later, that rollercoaster is calling our name!” Sydney yells.
“Let’s goooo,” Micheal adds, pointing to the Ferris Wheel.
You and Joe look at each other and start laughing at the scene. He gets out of the car and makes his way to your side, opening your door and helping you out of the car. He closes your door, grabs your hand, entwines your fingers, and leads you over to the entrance.
“This is gonna be epic,” Joe says. His cheeks were pink and his eyes twinkled in the light, a bounce present in his step. He looked like a little kid at the boardwalk for the first time.
“Yeah, this is so high school,” you laugh as Joe eagerly leads you to the entrance.
