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herbertten · 8 days ago

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are we kidding?? i’m so invested in this.

can’t wait for part twooooo

labyrinth I

summary - just as y/n and joe start dating, justin, someone she used to know, comes back into the picture. lots of confusing feelings and emotions surface as she's forced to choose between the two

pairing - joe burrow x fem!reader and justin herbert x fem!reader

wordcount - 12.1k

masterlist, part two

“I had a really nice time tonight,” Y/N said, turning around when she reached her front door. Joe stood a couple feet away from her, fighting to hold back a smile and failing miserably. “I’d love to do it again, if you want to?” she shyly asked.

“Of course I want to. I was just gonna ask but you beat me to it,” he laughed, taking an easy step forward, so casually she barely even took note of it. “Maybe you can come to my place next time, I’ll have my chef make us something.”

She cracked a smile at his words, still not used to the lavish lifestyle so many people in Los Angeles lived, especially the famous ones. Joe noticed and backtracked with a laugh, not wanting her to think he was conceited or anything.

“I would cook for you, but that would be a genuine health risk for the both of us, so… better not to,” he chuckled. “If you want scrambled eggs or a smoothie, or something like that, I’m your guy. But anything else is a little too advanced for me.”

“Is that your way of telling me I should stay for breakfast next time?” she joked, seeing his cheeks go red immediately at her innuendo.

He quickly composed himself to the confident guy he usually was, charmingly replying, “I definitely wouldn’t mind that, if you’re up for it?”

She laughed and avoided his eyes, again not noticing when he took another small step toward her, now close enough to touch her, though his hands stayed firmly at his sides.

“You’re really something else, Joey.”

“I try,” he grinned, his arm smoothly wrapping around her waist and pulling her close to his chest. “Gotta be a gentleman when I get to take a girl as beautiful as you out on a date.”

“I already said yes, you know? No need to lay it on so thick anymore,” she laughed, leaning a little closer.

“I’m just pointing out the obvious,” he shrugged, his other hand wrapping around her too, his hands interlocking behind her back and resting above her backside. “You’re very beautiful, so I have to say it.”

“Well it is very gentlemanly of you,” she said, reaching her hands up and around his neck, nails lightly scratching against his scalp – something she knew he liked when she saw the blissful look in his eyes.

He took a deep breath, his blue eyes shining under her front porch lights. “Would I still be a gentleman if I kissed you? Even though it’s only our second date?”

She smiled wide, biting down on her bottom lip and looking up at him with a sparkle in her eye. “I actually think you have to, to be a real gentleman.”

“Oh really?”

“Yeah, it’s a–”

He cut her off with his lips on hers, gently melding together and stealing her breath away. It was the perfect first kiss, short enough that it didn’t feel like he was pushing it too far, but still enough to leave a lasting impression. One strong enough to leave her wanting more.

When he pulled away – her lip gloss now on his lips, too – he took a careful step back, hands clasping behind his back as he looked down at her with a warm smile. “I’ll text you tomorrow, gorgeous,” he grinned, turning back around to walk to his car, parked in her driveway.

“Bye!” she called to him, a giddy smile on her face as she waved at him.

Opening her front door, she looked back at him one more time with a warm smile before stepping inside and closing her door behind her. She sunk back against it like the protagonists always did in the rom coms she watched as a teenager, smiling so hard her cheeks hurt, still feeling the way his lips felt on hers, slightly tingling.

She did her entire nightly routine with a lovesick smile on her face, unmoving the entire time. Joe was so perfect; kind, smart and absolutely gorgeous. And as a great bonus he understood the pressures of fame.

That’s how they’d met, after all. Joe had seen her in a movie and according to him, she was the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen and he just had to slide in her DM’s. She still couldn’t believe it was reality that Joe liked her. That he even thought it was worth it to try his luck with her.

She was rarely ever on social media anymore these days, so it was pure luck that she opened Instagram just an hour after Joe’s message. And usually she wasn’t one to answer – especially not to athletes, knowing of the reputation they had – but something about Joe just drew her in.

He was unflinchingly himself, cool and nerdy at the same time. He looked like a heartbreaker, with his expensive Cartier sunglasses and designer jackets, but he rambled on and on about nebulas and black holes. He was like something out of a movie, he just couldn’t be real, his identity was too contradictory. But it somehow worked for him, she didn’t think it would for anyone else, but he pulled it off.

Settling under her covers, she grabbed her phone, hoping Joe had texted her already, even though he said he would the next day. She was a little disappointed to see he hadn’t, but instead of sulking about it she gathered whatever courage she’d gained from his sweet kiss and texted him.

“Hey, I had an amazing time tonight, and I just wanted to say goodnight.”

She read it over and over again, changing the words around, adding and deleting emojis before finally just pressing send and throwing her phone to the side, not wanting to psych herself out anymore than she already had.

To her surprise, just seconds later her phone buzzed.

“Sweet dreams, beautiful. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

He was so amazing, she repeated like a mantra to herself. This was really the best date she’d ever been on in her entire life and she couldn’t wait for the second one.

Hopefully this was the start of something new. Something stable and easy.

────────────

“No way you did that,” she laughed, struggling to keep her composure as she looked at Joe, sitting on the other side of the table with a smug smile on her face from making her laugh so hard, even if it was at his own expense. “There’s just no way.”

“I swear! My mom didn’t take me with her to the grocery store again until I was like 8 years old,” he laughed, casually taking a sip of his wine. “It’s not my fault the cereal boxes were so easy to tip over, they should’ve put them somewhere a four year old couldn’t reach.”

She rolled her eyes with a laugh, pursing her lips to stop a smile from breaking out. “I’m surprised she didn’t put you on a leash.”

“Nah, I wasn’t a runner. I was too much of a mama’s boy.”

The way he said it so casually, with pride, had heat rushing to her face and an unconscious and lovesick smile growing. He was dressed in a pink sweatshirt with silly patterns, talking about embarrassing stories and how much he loved his mom. In other words, he was the exact opposite of all the boys she’d dated since moving to LA – in the best way.

Boyfriend material was the first thing that came to mind. There were only green flags around him, all making her feelings for him grow exponentially.

When they first met, she thought he’d be like the rest. After all, he kind of had that heartbreaker look about him, but then he spoke and her entire outlook on him was flipped on its head. She was so glad she gave him a chance, she would’ve kicked herself later if she missed out on someone like him.

“Are your parents in Ohio?”

“Yeah, they still live in my hometown, so I see them pretty often during the season. It’s not too far from Cincy so they come to every game,” he explained, attempting to twist some pasta on his fork before failing miserably and giving up, deciding to cut it like he used to when he was a kid instead.

“So you split your time between Cincy and LA, then? I mean I guess you probably spend most of your time in Ohio, especially in the summer and fall, right?”

“Yeah,” he nodded simply. “I like it out here, though. It’s a lot warmer. But Ohio is home, I’ll always go back there eventually, it’s where all my friends and family are. I don’t spend that much time here, at the end of the day.”

“I feel like that when I go back up to Oregon. It’s quiet there, not as much happening everywhere all the time. Plus it’s nice getting to be just Y/N for a while.”

“I don’t know, I kinda like being Joe Burrow,” he teased, a smirk tugging at his lips that had her stomach flipping. “I like it when you just call me Joey, though.”

“I’ll make sure to do that more, then, Joey,” she looked straight into his baby blues as she said it, seeing the now familiar crinkles appear around them. He looked like someone straight out of a magazine, with a perfect tan, hair lightened by the sun and a facecard that she was sure would never decline.

They’d long since finished the dinner Joe’s personal chef had prepared for them and had instead been talking for the better part of half an hour, with Joe topping up her glass whenever she finished it. It was so comfortable being with Joe, especially since he understood the whole fame thing.

Despite being known for completely different things, they both knew what life in the public eye was like. What it was like living a life that everyone wanted every detail about, especially any details about romantic relationships. So he never pushed her outside of her to step out in the limelight with him and he didn’t look at her sideways when she didn’t want to be too affectionate out and about.

Not that he wanted that either, he valued his privacy more than anything else. He wanted the best of both worlds, all the great things that came with being a household name, but still wanted who he went home to at the end of the day to remain something that was just his.

From everything she knew about him now, from their two previous dates and this ongoing one, she had a feeling he was the perfect match to her career. He understood the sponsorships, the untimely trips, the chaos of blinding camera flashes.

And Joe, while not having loved that part of fame all that much before, had started embracing it as of late. So it didn’t scare him the way she feared it would. Sometimes she thought a little part of him revelled in the attention – as long as he could control it.

And unlike most of her previous partners, he hadn’t let any of it go to his head. Well, maybe some of it, after all he was Joe cool. But he was still genuine and unapologetically himself, so comfortable in his own skin that even she felt jealous sometimes. Though she could understand, with the way he looked and with his immense talent, anyone would have high self esteem.

Still she felt like twirling her hair around her fingers every time he spoke. Whether it was about football, chess, space or clothes, it was easy to get wrapped up in his words, the way his lips moved and the gestures he was making with his hands.

“D’you wanna go to the living room? I can put on a movie or something for us?” he offered, already getting up to clear the table. She tried to help him, but he brushed her off, telling her he had it covered.

It didn’t take her long before she caved, taking her wine glass with her as she made herself comfortable on his couch. It didn’t take him long to finish putting things away, and before she knew it he was settling in beside her, so close their thighs were touching. He placed his arm behind her head, resting on the back of the couch, like he was testing the waters.

She decided to make it a little easier on him and inched a little closer, grabbing his hand so his arm wrapped properly around her, but kept holding his hand.

“So… What do you wanna watch?” he asked, turning the TV on and flicking through some recommended movies. “Maybe something you’re in,” he suggested, but the look in his eye told her he was only teasing her.

“That alone would make this the worst date I’ve ever been on,” she joked.

“And without it?”

“Eh, it’s up there,” she smiled, looking up at his side profile, lit up by the blue light of the TV screen. “Definitely top three.”

“It’s our third date, though,” he pointed out.

“Like I said, top three,” she repeated, seeing a pink blush spread across his cheeks.

He laughed, though it was closer to a giggle than anything else. “Well that’s good, then you won’t mind too much when I go back to Cincy next week.”

He hadn’t mentioned that part before and she unconsciously pouted, sad she wasn’t going to see him for a while. “How long will you be gone?”

“A week or two, I’m not sure yet,” he looked at her, squeezing her hand affectionately. “We’ll still have time to go out one more time before I leave, though. And if the dates have been as amazing as I think they’ve been, then a little time apart won’t make much difference.”

“You’re right,” she agreed, even if she still felt sad about him being so far away. Part of her wanted to ask if she could come to Cincinnati with him, but she had to remind herself it was way too soon to be inviting herself anywhere, especially to his home when they’d only known each other for a few weeks. “What’s two weeks gonna do?”

He paused for a second before fully turning toward her, his free hand coming up to hold her cheek. “I really like you, Y/N, and I want to keep seeing you.”

“I do too,” she smiled, leaning in to kiss Joe on the cheek, leaving a faint stain in the place of her lips from her lipstick.

When she pulled away she saw that adorable, almost childlike smile on his face. Then, not a second later, he snapped out of it, letting out a sigh and turning back to the TV.

“So, we could watch that new Batman movie? I haven’t seen that one yet but I’ve heard it’s good,” he said, clicking on it.

She settled into Joe’s side, letting her head lull against his chest, something unsurprisingly comfortable. “Sure,” she agreed, even though she had no interest in the movie at all. Joe did, though, and seeing his excitement to watch it was enough to convince her.

Joe watched her more than he watched the actual movie. He liked the pace they were at, wanted to go slow so he didn’t mess it up in any way, but at the same time he itched to just ask her to be his girlfriend.

They didn’t even really know each other yet, he had to remind himself every time he felt the words on the tip of his tongue, nearly spilling over without meaning to.

She was just so beautiful, maybe the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Having the self restraint to not kiss her was a taller task than he’d initially thought. But he pushed through. He wanted to do right by her, go slow, do it right, and sadly that meant not making out through the entirety of Matt Reeves’ Batman.

But while he refrained from kissing her, his arms had a mind of their own. And from every hitched breath and flushed smile, he knew she wasn’t going to start complaining anytime soon. They cuddled all throughout the movie and through the end credits. Then, Y/N finally glanced at her phone, the clock reading almost 10 pm already. She knew she couldn’t stay for much longer.

She carefully extracted herself from his arms and stood up, stretching out her tired limbs. Joe stood up with her, fidgety as always as he stared at her lips. Despite how hard he’d resisted before, his self restraint was no match for her glossy lips and doe eyes.

Before she even had the time to say anything he was on her, lips on hers and his hands on her waist pulling her body close to his. He was every bit as intentional and thorough as he’d been during their first kiss, this time lasting a little longer, pushing the boundaries a little more as his hands slowly inched downward.

She didn’t waste a second to reciprocate, her hands reaching up to tangle in whatever hair she could reach. Carefully, she tugged to get him closer to her height so she wouldn’t have to reach so much, standing on her tiptoes.

His touch was electrifying, lighting every part of her on fire and keeping her tethered in place all at once. She was breathless, desperately trying to stay close and just keep kissing him, up until she felt her phone buzz in her back pocket. It wasn’t anything important – she was sure without even checking it – but it brought her at least somewhat back to real life, still dizzy from his bruising kiss.

“I think I should probably get going,” she whispered against his lips, not pulling away. She didn’t want to leave, but she was still going to do it.

“Or…” he dragged out, pulling her even closer, if that was even possible. “You could stay the night?” he suggested, his tone making clear exactly what he meant by his words. He’d completely given up on his plan on taking things slow, mind stuck on one track now that he’d had a taste of her.

“I can’t.”

“Why not?” he asked, kissing her cheek, then her jaw, before finally landing on her neck.

“I’m more of a fifth date kind of girl,” she laughed as his lips brushed over a particularly ticklish spot. “I make exceptions only when I’ve known the guy for a long time. But you – no matter how handsome – I’ve only known for a couple weeks. So, you’ve gotta wait.”

“I’ve never heard of a fifth date rule,” he laughed, pulling away to look her in the eye. He didn’t seem hurt or angry at all at being turned down, maybe just a little bummed, but she couldn’t hold that against him. “Third date, yeah, but fifth?”

“I don’t know,” she laughed. “I made it up after moving here. It weeds out the guys who only want one thing.”

“Maybe I want multiple things,” he teased, jokingly wiggling his eyebrows in a suggestive way.

She shook her head, rolling her eyes indignantly with a smile on her face. “Nice try, Joey,” she kissed his cheek. “I really do have to leave though. But you only have two dates to go now.”

“Let’s go out tomorrow.”

She laughed again, his excitement was honestly adorable. Plus the amused look in his eye told her everything he was saying was completely lighthearted, even if he meant it. She was sure if she nodded even a little by accident, he’d have her halfway up the stairs to his bedroom.

“I can’t tomorrow. But maybe the day after that.”

“Okay,” he nodded, looking focused as if he was looking through some mental calendar. “Then we’d have to do the next date the day after that. So we can get to the fifth before I have to leave.”

“Isn’t it better to wait to have sex until you come back?” she asked and even if she hadn’t been looking him in the eye she would’ve felt the overdramatic eye-roll from a mile away. “That way it’s not like a one and done thing.”

“No,” he said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “It’s always better to have more sex than less sex.”

She had to laugh at his reasoning and the way he was nodding as if it was a scientifically proven fact. He was such a boy, in a sweet way. “How charming.”

He leaned in to gently kiss her temple, mumbling against her skin as he pulled away. “I’m completely fine to wait if that’s what you want. We have all the time in the world when I come back to do whatever we want.”

“You’re making it sound like we’re not leaving your room for days when you come back,” she pushed a little off of him, a teasingly contrarian smile on her face.

“Would that be so bad?” he smirked, drawing her close again, showing how little he wanted her to go back to her place.

She almost replied but she caught herself in time, only to finally fully pull herself out of his arms wearing a coy smile. “Goodbye, Joe.”

“Joey,” he corrected.

She rolled her eyes, “Bye, Joey.”

────────────

Joe was ten minutes late.

Y/N didn’t want to freak herself out yet, sitting at a crowded bar waiting for him to walk in. He had warned her he might run a little late, so she wasn’t going to give up hope. So instead, she nursed her drink, pushing her straw along the rim, around again and again to pass the time.

She was at a place Joe had suggested, some high end place – something she was lucky for now, since no one had noticed her yet. Or, at least, no one had come up to her. It was also crowded enough for her to melt into the background, a place she enjoyed whenever she wasn’t directly in front of the cameras.

She kept glancing at the doorway that was barely visible from her place sat on a barstool on the other end of the bar. Trying to people watch, she looked around, hoping to see something to keep her interest until Joe showed up.

Scanning the room she saw lots of pretty girls in short dresses with drunk men draped over them, groups of women dancing together, men in suits acting far too serious and friends tucked away in booths, talking amongst each other. It was clearly a busy night, but she shouldn’t have expected any less with it being a Friday night.

Finally her eyes landed on someone she could’ve sworn she’d seen before. She couldn’t place who he was, or where she’d seen him, but something about what little of his face she could see from under his ball cap was so familiar.

He was laughing so hard his shoulders shook and even from so far away she could see how his cheeks had gone a little pink, she assumed it was from the alcohol he’d clearly been drinking. Around him was a group of people, she assumed his friends, sitting with him in one of the leather booths.

Her breath caught when he noticed her looking, too stunned to look away even though she wished the ground would swallow her whole.

He didn’t seem too freaked out, even though she knew she would’ve been if she was in his place. Instead he smiled and said something to his friends before getting up out of his seat. She looked away, turning back to the bar before she could see him starting to walk toward her.

“Oh god no,” she mumbled to herself, covering her face with her hands in embarrassment.

“Is this seat taken?” she heard someone ask from beside her and for a second she thought it was Joe before realizing it wasn’t. It was the guy she’d just stared at for no reason at all, looking down at her with an amused smile.

“No, no it’s not,” she quickly said, shifting in her own seat to give him more room. He clearly needed it. He was as tall as Joe, if not taller, she noticed.

“Hey, I’m Justin,” he said, reaching his hand forward to shake hers, realizing she didn’t recognize him. “You didn’t need to stare at me like that, Y/N,” he laughed, shaking her nearly limp hand as she blankly stared at him with her mouth agape.

“Oh, Justin! I knew you looked familiar,” her voice rose in pitch as she exclaimed, before remembering why he’d come over. “I am so sorry for staring. I just couldn’t place you.”

“You forgot about me?” he asked with a laugh, clearly not taking any offense, but she took it for him.

“No, no, I promise I didn’t. I just couldn’t place you for a second there, I’m sorry,” she rambled, flushed and feeling exposed from the position she’d put herself in.

“You don’t have to apologize, I get it,” he grinned, shaking his head. “It’s been years, how have you been?”

She nodded fast, still nervous. “I’m good, everything’s pretty great right now,” she smiled, thinking of her career, friends, family and Joe. “What about you, hotshot quarterback?”

He blushed and stray hairs obscured his eyesight as he bowed his head to hide the redness. “I’m doing pretty well, already looking forward to next season. Last season didn’t end how we wanted, but… we can only learn from it.”

“You really haven’t changed at all since high school, still so competitive and football focused,” she laughed, remembering how seriously he took all the sports he played back at Sheldon High School, even when nearly everyone else was slacking off. “It’s really nice to see you again.”

“Likewise. I can’t believe we haven’t run into each other at all in five years, what are the odds?”

“We’ve both been pretty busy,” she shrugged.

“Yeah, you with all your award winning movies,” he teased, making her look away with a shy smile on her face. “I saw Oppenheimer, you were great in it.”

“Did you?” she lit up, smiling when he nodded in confirmation. “What did you think?”

“I liked it, I wish it had been a little more about the actual bomb, though.”

She laughed so loudly she had to catch herself, pursing her lips together to stop from embarrassing herself any further. “Only you would say that, Herbert.”

“It’s true though!” he laughed, leaning a little closer so she could hear him over the bar music. “Anyway, what are you doing here alone?”

She glanced back to the door, remembering Joe was supposed to walk through there any second. Well, he should've been fifteen minutes ago already. “Yeah, my date’s running a little late.”

She didn’t notice how his face fell a little at her words, too preoccupied looking over his shoulder at the door, but still no Joe in sight.

“Oh,” he mumbled before regaining his composure and plastering a smile on his face. “How long have you been going out?”

“A couple weeks,” she could feel her face heat up as she spoke. “It’s going pretty well so far.”

“That’s good, I’m happy for you,” he smiled, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes despite his best efforts. “Who’s the lucky guy?”

“His name’s Joe,” she smiled thinking about him. “He’s actually–” she cut herself off as she looked over Justin’s shoulder again and finally saw Joe, his eyes scanning the crowds for her. “Oh he’s here! Finally,” she almost jumped out of her seat in joy, the excitement in her eyes clearer than the night sky.

“I should really get going, then,” Justin said as he stood up, awkwardly standing in front of her for a second before continuing. “It was really great seeing you again, maybe we could catch up sometime?” he offered, hopeful.

“Yeah,” she was quick to agree. “See you later, Justin,” she smiled, standing up for a second to hug him, his arms fitting nicely around her frame as he held her.

She barely had time to glance at his retreating figure before Joe was beside her, pulling her in for a hug and a quick kiss to her cheek. “I’m so sorry I’m late, baby. Seriously, so so sorry. I didn’t think the meeting would drag on for so long, I would’ve rescheduled.”

“It’s fine,” she smiled up at him, grabbing his hand and holding it tight in hers, hoping to reassure him. “It wasn’t too long. Plus I ran into an old friend so I didn’t get too bored.”

“That’s good,” Joe released a relieved breath, shoulders relaxing. “You wanna stay for a drink or head straight to the restaurant?”

She looked down at her drink, nearly empty with ice cubes melting at the bottom. It was getting pretty late, too, and she didn’t want to cut their time together short just because he’d been a little late. “Definitely go to the restaurant,” she agreed, gathering her bearings and grabbing Joe’s hand.

Joe held the door open for her and held her close with an arm around her shoulder the short walk to the restaurant, sunglasses on both of them to cover their identities a little more, even though the darkness of the night did most of the work.

He’d gotten them a table at a very fancy restaurant not far from the bar. She’d been to plenty of nice restaurants in her life, but she knew it was truly a high-end restaurant when she couldn’t see any prices on the menu and the waiter who came to pour them their wine held a whole wine tasting for Joe to let him pick the best one.

She felt a little out of her element, but Joe seemed to know exactly what to do and his calm confidence put her at ease.

She liked this part about Joe, he forced her outside of her comfort zone. He never did it in a pushy way that had her feeling uneasy, always making sure she was okay with everything. Everything with Joe just felt like endless excitement, like she never knew what was going to come next, whether it be some silly pattern on his clothes or an outlandish idea of what he was going to spend his time and energy on in the offseason.

He brought a spark to her life that she’d sorely missed.

The date was nothing short of perfect, like the ones before. Joe really had the date thing down to a science, knowing just when to be charming and flirty and when to tone it down and actually ask about her and her interests.

The best part was, she had his undivided attention the entire night. His blue eyes were a dead giveaway, staying locked on her the entire night, all the way through dinner and the dessert they decided to share – a chocolate cake that she was definitely going to have to come back for someday.

When it was finally time to leave, Joe wrapped his jacket around her shoulders to shield her from the cool air – even though the walk from the restaurant to the ride Joe had gotten for them was too short to warrant it. But the gesture still had her smile growing twice the size and setting in stone the fact that he was definitely getting a good night kiss.

Outside her house, Joe stepped out with her to walk her to her door, the driver waiting for him to take him to his place after.

She didn’t waste any time telling him how good the date was, he already knew judging from the beaming smile on his face. Instead, she reached up on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his pink lips, lingering for as long as her ankles would let her before they’d start to ache.

Joe’s hands cradled the sides of her face, tracing circles on her cheeks with the pads of his thumbs. When he eventually pulled away, he pressed kisses to her cheeks, her forehead and finally the tip of her nose. “You, Y/N, are one special woman,” he grinned.

“I try.”

He shook his head, leaning down to steal another kiss. “You’re gonna traumatize your poor driver if you keep kissing me like this.”

He laughed, already leaning down for one more kiss, mumbling against her lips, “He’ll live.”

────────────

The next day Joe was already on his way to Cincinnati and Y/N was bored out of her mind. She wasn’t filming anything at the moment and she had no press to do either so she was completely free, and for once that was something she didn’t want.

She tried to busy herself with things around her house, but before noon rolled around she’d already cleaned her house and reorganized her closet. Now all there was left to do was play mind numbing games on her phone and watch reruns on her TV.

She nearly jumped out of joy when her phone buzzed before even knowing who it was. She was surprised when she saw that Justin sent her a DM over Instagram. Sure, he’d said he was going to, but she assumed he only said it to be nice. She wasn’t expecting him to actually take her up on it.

“Hey, it’s Justin. I hope this isn’t too forward, but would you wanna grab a coffee or get lunch someday? Whenever you’re free. I’d really love to catch up.”

She was surprised he texted her at all and even more surprised he actually still followed her after so many years. Seeing him again was really great and she didn’t want it to be a one off thing. Plus, she was really bored.

“I’m actually free today, if that works for you?”

His reply came almost immediately, “Absolutely! I know a good place we could go to, I’ll send you the address. Is 1 pm okay?”

“Yeah, I’ll see you then.”

A little over an hour later she was walking into a fairly crowded but casual restaurant, wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses. Before she even had time to look around the place, she spotted Justin at the hostess’ stand.

“Hey,” she called as she neared and he turned around with a mild-mannered smile on his face.

“Hi, I hope this wasn’t too short notice for you,” he said, reaching down for a friendly hug.

“I really had nothing to do today, so you’re the one doing me a favor,” she laughed, the two of them following the hostess to a table in a more secluded part of the restaurant. It was a little quieter there and there were significantly fewer people around, something Justin must’ve specifically asked for.

They got through all the usual small talk topics as they ordered their food, going through family, friends, their careers and even the nice Los Angeles weather, all the while tiptoeing around anything deeper.

“When’s the last time you were in Eugene,” Justin asked, taking a bite of his fish. “Or do you ever go back at all?”

“It’s been a while, six months at least,” she admitted with a regretful tone. “I really miss it, though, so I should probably go back soon.”

“Your parents still live there?”

“Yeah, my brother, too,” she nodded, sipping on her water. “What about your family?”

“My parents still live there and so do I during the off season,” he told her.

Her eyebrows furrowed, a quizzical expression taking over her face. “Isn’t it off season now…?”

He chuckled, cheeks burning red and dimples deepening. “Yeah, I guess. But I’m only staying here for a few more days before I drive up to Oregon. I have a lot to take care of up there now that I have time.”

“What do you usually do there? I mean, I assume you’re not exactly going out and about all the time, you were never really the most outgoing out of all of us.”

“I mostly stay on my ranch,” she cut him off with a smiling laugh, before pursing her lips and mumbling an apology. “What’s so funny about that?” he laughed with her, luckily not taking any offense.

“You have a ranch?”

“Yeah,” he said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“That really is the most Justin thing ever, huh,” she shook her head as he fought to keep a smile off of his flushed face. “I always kind of assumed you’d be a professional quarterback with a ranch somewhere, you really lived up to all my expectations.”

His face burned as he mumbled something she couldn’t hear under his breath. “I could say the same thing about you,” he countered, this time loud enough for her to hear. “I told you before graduation I knew you were gonna be a big name someday. I was right.”

“I remember that,” she smiled, recalling the moment. It was one of the last times they’d seen each other before she moved away for college and they fell out of touch. He’d grinned, looking as dorky as ever with his graduation cap sitting crooked on his head, then he’d hugged her and told her she was going to do great things.

Even with nearly a decade apart, she’d yet to meet a person that was nicer than Justin. Some came close, a few matched him, but no one ever outdid him.

“Who would’ve thought? Huh?” she placed her elbows on the table, resting her face in her hands. “Funny how things work out.”

He had an odd look in his eye that she couldn’t really place as his gaze lingered on her, only to be broken up when the waitress came by to fill their glasses and he stopped to thank her. When his eyes made their way back to her he looked just like he had before; completely normal again.

“You really should go up to Eugene soon. Plus, I’ll be there so it won’t be too boring.”

“What are you gonna do to entertain me there?” she asked with a laugh, playing along.

“Well, you’ll get the privilege of getting to help me out with my backyard – if you want – and we can go fishing. I still go to that same spot we used to fish sometimes by the lake.”

“You make a compelling argument, J,” she laughed. “Who can resist doing unpaid labour for absolutely no reason?”

“It’s not for nothing, you get to hang out with me the entire time.”

“Wow,” she laughed, leaning back in her chair with a wide smile. “LA really got to your head, huh?”

Justin’s nose scrunched up as he laughed, his chest shaking a little as he tried not to make too much noise and disturb anyone around them. “Yep, my ego got too big from sitting at home with my cat all day,” he joked but she got caught on one word in particular and disregarded the rest.

“You have a cat?” she asked with a newfound excitement. “I thought you were a dog person?”

“I am, but I don’t have time for a dog so I got a cat instead.”

She shook her head lightly, he did always love animals so it was no surprise he got a pet for himself not too long after moving down to California. “What’s its name? What kind of cat is it? When did you get it?” she fired off question after question.

“Her name’s Nova, she’s a bengal. I got her after my rookie year when I moved to my own place, I didn’t wanna be completely alone.”

“I’ve always wanted to have a pet, I bet she makes things so much more fun.”

“You have no idea,” he laughed, thinking of a specific event where she’d been more of a nuisance than usual. “She definitely keeps things interesting, I’ll say that.”

“You know what, I might have to come to Eugene just to meet Nova,” she said, her excitement showing how genuine she was in her words.

Justin had been joking the entire time about her actually coming to Oregon while he was there, thinking it wasn’t ever going to happen. But if she actually did, he definitely wasn’t going to complain.

He’d forgotten how much he liked her company, how good of a friend she was. He didn’t feel the need to keep any walls up when talking to her, no need to hide any imperfect part of himself. After all, she already knew who he was as a person, there was no need to pretend he was anything other than himself.

“Well, if you ever do decide to visit, you’ll always have a room at my place. God knows I have enough of them for me and my cat,” he laughed. He’d bought the ranch as an investment for the future, a place where he’d eventually live and grow with his family. But now that it was only him and Nova, it could get pretty quiet and lonely. Having someone else around might not be the worst thing. Especially not if that someone was her.

“Oh, I couldn’t do that,” she waved off.

“I’m serious, I really wouldn’t mind,” he said, with more conviction in his words this time. “You obviously don’t have to, I don’t want you to feel pressured or anything. But my door’s always open for you.”

It was so easy to fall into old habits with Justin, so easy to trust him. “Thank you, really,” she smiled genuinely. “I’ll keep it in mind.”

────────────

“Hey, how’s Cincy?” Y/N asked, phone pressed to her ear as she laid on her bed staring at the blank ceiling. “Is it cold there?”

“Hey, gorgeous,” she heard Joe moving around on the other line, before a chuckle came through. “It’s snowing right now, but it’s not too bad. I grew up in this weather so I’m used to it. Kinda like it, honestly.”

“I haven’t seen snow in so long. But I’m not really made for the cold so I’m not gonna complain,” she smiled, giddy both at hearing his laugh and knowing she’d made him laugh, no matter the reason.

“Doesn’t it snow in Oregon?”

“Sometimes, but only a little. Nothing like what you guys get over there,” she sighed. “I miss you. I know we haven’t known each other for that long, but I do.”

She could practically hear him smile through the phone, and she flipped over onto her stomach, legs kicking back and forth in the air. “I miss you, too,” he admitted with a short laugh. “You could always come visit me?” he asked, hopefully.

She pouted, thinking of her conversation with Justin. “I would, but I think I’m gonna visit home for a bit. I had lunch with that friend I told you about, and we talked a little about Oregon and now I miss it.”

He let out a big breath and she heard him moving around again – he was so fidgety, both in real life and over the phone. He couldn’t stay still for more than a few seconds. “I guess I can’t really blame you,” he said, although he didn’t sound too happy about it. “When are you planning on going?”

“Maybe next week,” she said, thinking aloud. “I haven’t really thought about it too much yet. But it would be nice to see everything again. Plus Justin promised I’d get to meet his cat.”

“Justin?”

“Oh,” she said, not having realized Joe didn’t know about him. “My friend, his name’s Justin. We were friends in high school but he lives here now. He was gonna go up to Eugene this week and promised I’d get to meet his cat Nova if I was ever in town.”

It was silent for a second before she heard Joe’s voice again. “How long have you two been friends?”

She missed the slight jealousy in his voice and instead turned back around to lie on her back, talking aimlessly. After all, it didn’t register to her that Joe would even have anything to be jealous of. “Since forever. We went to all the same schools growing up but we hadn’t spoken for a few years,” she told him. “We went to different colleges and kind of just grew apart. That and he was so busy, he didn’t really have much spare time.”

“Okay,” he nodded along, though she couldn’t see it. “You know, I should’ve asked you out sooner. We would’ve had time for that fifth date,” he said, and she could hear the underlying humor in his words.

“Didn’t know you waited to ask me out,” she laughed.

“I didn’t,” he admitted with a chuckle. “I DM’d you immediately after seeing that movie, can’t remember which one…” he trailed off.

“How romantic,” she smiled, biting her bottom lip. “Then I guess we met right when we were supposed to meet.”

“I guess so,” he hummed in agreement and she could practically hear his smile, that adorably goofy one that had his cheeks and nose turning pink and his perfect teeth shining brightly. “You should come to Cincy,” he said out of the blue.

“What?”

“Come to Cincy, I’ll buy you a plane ticket.”

She laughed like it was the silliest thing she’d ever heard in her life. “You really want me in Ohio?”

“Yeah,” he shrugged. “I want you with me.”

She shook her head, knowing he hadn’t thought it all the way through, no matter how sweet his words were. “So you want me to meet your family and all your friends?” she asked knowingly.

It went silent on the other end for a few seconds, making her laugh even harder – though she tried to hold it back.

“I won’t take offense, Joey, I get it,” she told him. “I wouldn’t want you to meet my family yet either, it’s a little too early for that.”

“You’re right,” he sighed heavily. “Sucks that we have to be adults about this and not dive headfirst, huh?”

“Nice things last when you take care of them,” she said simply. “I don’t want this to be a short fling, so we do things right. And that includes not jumping the gun and meeting your family before I even know their names.”

“My parents' names are Robin and Jim,” he told her. “Can you come now?” he joked.

“I literally just told you I’m going to Oregon and you’re trying to lure me across the country. My mom would not be happy with you right now,” she smiled.

“You’re right, I don’t wanna get on her bad side before I even meet her,” he said and she could practically hear him shudder. “Gotta get on the in-laws' good side.”

“We’ve been on three dates, Joe,” she deadpanned with an uncontainable smile. “Slow down a little, won’t you?”

He laughed unencumbered, almost a giggle, and it was the best thing she’d heard all day. “Well, if you won’t come to me, I’ll just have to call you every day so you don’t forget me.”

“How could I ever forget your pretty face.”

Despite not being able to see him, she knew he was smirking in that overconfident way again, shoulders squared back and head held high. No wonder he had high self esteem when she was complimenting him at basically every turn.

“Maybe I don’t wanna forget yours,” he flirted. “I’ll call you every night, deal?”

“Deal, handsome.”

────────────

Y/N thought her decision to buy a plane ticket to Eugene was impulsive, even though she’d been thinking about it for a few days now. The thing that actually made it impulsive was the fact that the plane was leaving the same day she booked it.

So, in the matter of a day, she was in Oregon again, catching a cab to her parents house. She was excited to see them and her childhood home, it had been so long since she’d visited. Of course she’d seen her parents more times than she could count just this past year, but it had been far too long since they’d been home together.

She hadn’t texted Justin yet, but she was definitely going to. With the amount of time that had passed, she really didn’t know anybody in Eugene anymore. Sure, some of the people from her and Justin’s friend group still lived close by, but she hadn’t seen them in such a long time, she couldn’t just reach out and ask them to hangout.

That, and she was actually really hoping to meet his cat. She remembered how much he used to love animals as a kid, how he’d go out of his way to – kindly – catch any animal and pet it, only to let it back out into the wild after. So if he could treat a wild animal like the cutest thing to ever exist, she had to see how he was with his cat.

He’d probably be different to how she remembered him, she thought. After all, this wasn’t the same Justin she used to know, even if so many parts were different. He wasn’t eighteen and nervous to talk in front of people anymore.

After having dinner with her family and settling upstairs in her childhood bedroom, she finally decided to text Justin, just to let him know she was there.

“Hey, I’m actually in Eugene right now. So if you’re free to hang out some day soon, call me.”

Justin was over the moon when he read her text message. He’d just taken a break from playing Call of Duty with his friends when his phone pinged. He was initially going to ignore it, but now he was happy he didn’t.

He wasted no time answering, even though he knew he probably should’ve left it for a few minutes. If not to just give himself a second to think, then to not look desperate. But of course, his impulses took over.

“That’s great! I didn’t think you were actually going to come,” he wrote, smiling down at his phone. “I’ll find some free time for us. Does tomorrow work for you? We could go on a hike or something?”

He bit at the inside of his cheek, trying to keep his anxieties as bay. He didn’t want to come on too strong and scare her away. But he couldn’t just sit idly by either.

“A hike sounds great! What trail are you thinking, the one by the university?” she wrote back and Justin visibly relaxed, melting into his gaming chair a little more as the tension in his shoulders started to dissipate.

“It’s a little too popular. I know another place a little further away, usually not as many people there, at least not before noon on a weekday.”

He didn’t mean to imply he didn’t want to be seen with her, even though that part wasn’t exactly untrue. He didn’t want to be seen with anyone, wanted to disappear into obscurity, especially during the off season. It was his time away from the cameras and the media, especially when he was in Oregon.

It did cross his mind once or twice, too, that she was an actual celebrity. Not like him, where people sometimes recognized him and wanted a picture or an autograph. No, paparazzi sometimes followed her and her name was a household one in certain circles, especially in Eugene, since they were both from there.

Being around her would definitely at some point result in them getting pictured together and it being posted on the internet. It was the last thing he wanted, but it was inevitable. Still, he wanted to be near her, he just couldn’t help himself.

“Sounds good! Can you send me the address?” she replied.

He shook his head to himself, as if she could see it. “I’ll come pick you up and drive us both, no point taking two cars.”

He wanted to be a gentleman, even if it was a half hour detour for him. Plus, it gave them more time to spend together, something he knew would sooner rather than later be rare.

“That would be really great, thank you Justin,” she typed back. “I’m staying at my parents house, do you remember the address?”

How could he ever forget? He’d picked her up from her driveway hundreds of times, walked her home after school, stayed over to help her with her homework. He knew the way by heart.

“I do, I’ll pick you up at 10 am?”

“I’ll see you then, J.”

Her parents almost didn’t believe her the next morning at breakfast when she told them she was going hiking with Justin. They hadn’t heard of him in so long, but they still remember what a good impression he’d made on them in his teens, and were happy to hear the two were still friends.

So she stood in her driveway, wearing a warm sweater and leggings, arms wrapped tightly around her as she waited for Justin. She smiled widely and waved when she saw him, happily walking over to his – hopefully warm – car. “Hi!”

“Hey, you’re in a good mood,” he laughed, turning around to reverse out of the driveway.

“I am,” she agreed. “Feels like I haven’t been out in nature in so long, I’ve missed it.”

He glanced over at her, seeing her already making herself comfortable in the leather car seat, elbow leant by the window and head resting against her hand.

“We should go fishing some day, too,” she continued. “Oh and I want to see your ranch. And meet Nova! There’s so much to do…”

He laughed at her excitement, “When did you even get here?”

“Yesterday.”

Her answer only made him laugh harder. “You’ve only been here one day and you’re acting like you’re never coming back again. Just calm down, I’ll make sure you get to see everything you want to and then some.”

She laughed, reaching to turn up the music he had been playing a little more, some generic rock playlist that she could’ve sworn his dad used to play in their backyard when they hung out in their backyard as kids. Justin wasn’t singing along, just tapping his fingers on the steering wheel in what he thought was the correct rhythm (it wasn’t even close) and bobbing his head along.

It was cute.

They talked the entire drive and with five minutes to go, they’d somehow started talking about their love lives. Justin’s stomach twisted as he asked, “How’s it going with you and… Joe, was it?”

“Yeah, Joe,” she happily sighed, warmth growing in her cheeks. “It’s going well, I think. He’s in Ohio now, so I probably won’t see him for a while. We’ve only been on four dates so far though.”

Justin hated that he felt a little hope and relief at the fact that they hadn’t been dating long. He knew it was still a long shot, especially with someone as beautiful and kind as her, but it at least left the door open. The fact that she was still technically single also made him feel better for all the flirty glances and comments he’d already made and knew he’d continue to make, no matter if she realized it or not.

That being said, he didn’t love hearing about her love life and he definitely didn’t like the spark in her eye when he brought up Joe. But he was her friend before anything else, so he had to ask, like a good friend would.

“That’s nice, I’m happy you found someone you like.”

She turned her head to grin at him, not thinking twice at his steely face, thinking it was just him focusing on the road ahead of him. “That means a lot, J. I think you’d like him, you’ve got a lot in common, actually.”

He let out a wry laugh at her words, trying to cover it with a cough. “Yeah, like what?”

“Well… you both like football, you’re both really fucking tall,” she smiled, a teasing tone in her next words, “Though you might have him slightly beat in that department.”

Justin almost felt embarrassed about how happy that made him. It made him want to slam his head against the steering wheel.

“And you’re both nice, handsome guys who enjoy spending time with me. And… that might actually be it,” she laughed, shaking her head like she thought she would’ve had more to list off. Justin blushed at the offhand compliment, deciding to take it to heart even if she definitely didn’t say it as any more than an afterthought. “The football thing should be enough though, you guys could probably talk for hours about that.”

“I’m sure,” Justin grumbled, knowing he had no intention of ever doing that. If it was up to him, he’d never even meet this Joe guy, let alone have a conversation with him. He knew he was acting childish and petty but he really couldn’t help it, even when he knew how irrational it was.

He was glad to get an out when they neared the sign that led to the trail and he could steer the conversation back to a more comfortable topic instead. Pulling into a spot in the gravel parking lot and stepping out, he instantly felt at ease. There was just something about being out in nature surrounded by real fresh air, something LA sorely lacked.

There were only a handful of other cars parked close by and a few dirt and sand trails heading in different directions into the woods, so the likelihood of them running into someone else was low.

It wasn’t as cold and rainy there as it had been in the center of Eugene, despite them not being too far away from the city. Y/N was relieved about that part, she would’ve hated to have their time cut short because of the weather.

Plus it meant she’d made the right decision in not bringing backup clothes in her bag, leaving it lighter and easier to carry.

Too preoccupied looking at the weather forecast, she didn’t even realize Justin had gotten out of the car before he opened her car door. “After you, ma’am,” he said with a silly grin, gesturing for her to step out of the car.

He reached his hand down to help her get out, too, and she mumbled a quick “Thank you,” at the nice gesture, a little flustered at his proximity. Justin had always been kind, his mom teaching him manners he refused to let go of very early on.

He’d always done things like this, even at his worst as a teenage boy. She’d forgotten how nice it was being around someone who without a second thought helped and cared.

He didn’t let go of her hand immediately, instead tugging her along as he locked the car behind them with his other hand. “I think you’d like this one the most. It’s not too difficult and doesn’t take too long, so your short legs won’t get too tired.”

He smirked teasingly toward the end of his sentence, breaking out into a giggle when she hit his arm lightly, muttering “Ass,” under her breath, something that only made him laugh harder.

They talked about anything and everything as they walked, and it felt like no time had passed at all. She’d never considered him her best friend, but he’d gotten pretty damn close many times, and she didn’t doubt he’d manage to do it again.

This time, though, it felt a little different. His eyes lingered on her for a little longer every time she spoke, even sometimes when she didn’t, and his comments grew bolder and bolder, something she attributed to him growing more confident as an adult.

A small part of her thought it was because he maybe had feelings for her, but she pushed the thought away quickly, deeming it too silly to be true.

“So, do you have a special someone in LA?” she asked with raised eyebrows when they stopped for the first time for a water break. She figured since she’d talked about her love life, it was only fair that Justin would do the same. Besides, she was a naturally curious person, she would’ve wanted to know and likely would’ve asked either way. “Or here in Eugene?”

His cheeks and the tip of his nose went bright red as he averted his eyes, looking anywhere but at her.

“You do, don’t you?” she gasped, assuming his embarrassment and general awkwardness was proof of it.

“I don’t,” he coughed, pursing his lips to keep the uncomfortable – and slightly amused – smile off his lips, part of his unfortunate habit of laughing in serious situations. “I really don’t.”

She turned her head to the side, a deadpan look on her face as she shook her head. “You mean to tell me you’re completely single? No way.”

“Why’s that so hard to believe?” he asked her back, putting his water bottle away and beginning to walk away, forcing her to catch up to him and his long stride.

“Well,” she squeaked out, stammering a little as she tried to find the right words, almost immediately losing her breath at the quick pace he had set. “I don’t know, it just is. You’re kind of a catch, Justin.”

“Well thank you,” he mumbled, blushing wildly. He slowed down when he noticed her slight struggle, just enough for her to catch her breath and talk normally while walking side by side.

“Do you not want to be with anyone, or…?” she pried, voice light enough that he knew she didn’t mean to push.

“I’m happy on my own,” he laughed, looking at her sideways. “I guess when I find the right girl, I’ll know, and I’ll want to be with her.”

She couldn’t help but think of how lucky that girl was going to be, no matter who it was. “That’s very mature of you, J.”

He rolled his eyes good naturedly, pacing his steps with hers, ignoring how unnatural it felt to walk so slow.

It didn’t take long for Y/N to get distracted by some flowers on the side of the trail, ones Justin let her pick only after making sure they weren’t of a protected species. She teased him for five minutes straight for the app he’d used to scan the flower. Despite it, he held her flowers for her the rest of the way, only giving them back to her when they got back to the parking lot.

He insisted on opening her car door for her again, going so far as to lock it when she tried to reach for the handle before he could get to it. She tried to argue back this time but he was having none of it, closing the door on her before she could get the last word.

He let her put on music on the way back, but for his sake she didn’t stray too far from his comfort zone, deciding on playing songs he knew too. One thing that hadn’t changed even a little over the years was Justin’s need to always be in control, so it surprised her he let her put on the music, even if it was such a small thing.

Not long into the drive back, it started raining. It wasn’t anything too bad at first, just a light drizzle, but it didn’t take long before it was pouring down to the point where the roads were slick and it was getting harder and harder to see through the rain and the rapid movement of the windshield wiper.

Justin had been gripping the wheel tighter ever since the first few drops, as if he was expecting the storm already by then. It didn’t take long before he quietly cursed under his breath before saying. “We’re going to my house, it’s closer and it’s not safe to drive right now.”

He spoke with such finality and worry that she couldn’t do anything other than nod in agreement. Not five minutes later he was driving down the road that led to his ranch, far away from any other houses but still close enough to the city to not feel like it was in the middle of nowhere.

He pulled into his garage so they wouldn’t have to walk through the rain and soon enough they were inside in the warmth of Justin’s home.

His house was completely quiet, but something about it was just so innately homey. It did help that it wasn’t sterilly white and that he had family pictures, trinkets and important memories all around on every surface and wall. It felt lived in, despite it standing empty for a majority of the year.

It made sense, though. Because at the end of the day this was Justin’s home, something no house in LA could ever quite achieve no matter how much time he spent there.

“Welcome to my place,” he laughed, throwing his car keys in a bowl by the entryway. “Wasn’t exactly thinking it was gonna be like this.”

She smiled at him before continuing to look around her at all the small details of his life, of everything that had happened since they last knew each other.

“You want anything to drink?” he asked, taking his baseball cap off and toeing his shoes off, Y/N following his example.

“Water?” she asked him and he nodded in reply, walking to the kitchen and getting her a glass as she followed behind him.

He handed it to her, leaning back against the counter and crossing his arms. “Are you hungry?” he asked. “I could make us something?”

She nodded enthusiastically, “Yes, please,” she grinned. “I can help.”

“No need,” he shook his head before walking to his kitchen island and patting the stone counter. “Just sit here and look pretty and I’ll take care of it.”

She hesitated for a second, feeling a smile creeping in from his sweet and unexpected compliment. When she didn’t move, he nodded toward the countertop and moved aside so she could jump up. Without much afterthought, she just followed and did as he said.

“Control freak,” she laughed.

Her feet dangled over the edge of the counter as he walked around the kitchen, getting everything done. Justin talked her ear off the entire time, looking for her reaction or commentary every few sentences, only to go back to his rambling.

She offered her help multiple times, especially when he was running back and forth between the cutting board and the frying pan, trying not to burn anything. At one point, she jumped off the counter to just help him even if he didn’t want it, but all he did was pick her up and put her right back on top of the counter, telling her with poorly concealed amusement, “I thought I told you to sit still.”

It was all a great way to pass the time, waiting for the rain to ease up at least a little so he could drive her home. Justin had completely forgotten about that part, just happy to be spending time with her.

It didn’t take him too long before he had dinner prepared, chicken and rice – she wouldn’t have expected anything else from a professional athlete. She couldn’t deny that he was an amazing cook, making something usually so bland actually taste good.

They sat down to eat at his dinner table just by the kitchen and it reminded her of all the times she’d stayed over for dinner at the Herberts’ when she was young. Usually it was with another friend or two of theirs as well, or one of Patrick’s or Mitchell’s friends or girlfriends who happened to be there too. But it was as homey as ever then, and it felt the same now even though it was just the two of them.

Halfway through, she finally remembered the most important part of being at Justin’s place. “I haven’t seen Nova yet!” she exclaimed, setting her fork down and looking around the place as if she’d magically appear. “Is she here?”

“She’s probably hiding under my bed or in my office, loud rain usually scares her,” he replied with crinkles beside his eyes, amused at her excited look. “We can go find her after we finish eating.”

Y/N wasted no time digging back in, trying to finish her plate as quickly as she could, only making Justin laugh.

“It’s almost like you wanna hang out with her more than me,” he wryly joked.

“Not almost, I do,” she tried saying with a deadpan voice, but a laugh broke out halfway through. “No but I have to meet her, I want her to like me.”

“She’s a cat. She likes everyone who feeds her and gives her attention,” he shook his head, only to add on, “Well, except for some people. If she gets bad vibes from you she will scratch you without warning.”

“Noted.”

“You’ll be fine, though,” he shrugged, eating the last of his chicken. “I know she’ll like you, who wouldn’t?” he whispered the last part under his breath, glancing up to make sure she didn’t hear – and she didn’t.

Justin couldn’t stop her – even though he really tried – when she helped clear the table and put away leftovers. He couldn’t blame her too much, though, she really wanted to see Nova.

Finally, after everything was put away and the kitchen was back to its usual clean state, she eagerly followed Justin up the stairs to his bedroom. They found the cat lying in the middle of his made bed, stretching out to cover as much ground as she could.

“Oh, she’s beautiful,” Y/N whispered as to not disturb the cat. She carefully sat down on the bed, Justin following suit and sitting beside her.

He reached out for Nova and gently scooped her up, something she didn’t seem to mind at all, immediately purring in his arms. He scratched between her ears and Nova’s eyes finally landed on Y/N.

“Hi, pretty,” she mumbled, reaching a hand closer to the cat, giving her the opportunity to come closer to say hi if she wanted to.

Nova tentatively neared, sniffing her hand, before turning and rubbing her side against her. “See, I told you she was going to like you,” Justin smiled with an ‘I told you so’ look in his eye.

But Y/N didn’t reply, too enamored with his cat. After a few minutes of comfortable silence, where she scratched and petted Nova, the cat eventually climbed into her lap. “Are you seeing this?” she whisper-shouted to Justin. “This is the best day of my life.”

He chuckled, seeing the plain joy on her face.

They sat for a while like that, idly chatting as they waited for the minutes to pass. It was nearing 9 pm now, and no matter how much he wanted the day to continue on forever, it had to end at some point.

“The rain still isn't letting up,” Justin remarked, looking out the window where trees were swaying forcefully with the wind, rain pelting loudly against the glass.

She sighed, nodding a little dejectedly, hand absentmindedly playing with Nova’s fur. It was getting late, leaving them with only so many options.

“Do you want to wait it out?” she asked. It was the only thing she could think of doing.

He was quiet for a beat before carefully saying, “It might not end at all until tomorrow.”

“Oh.”

“You’re more than welcome to stay here, if you’re comfortable with it?” he offered. “I can make up the spare bedroom for you.”

“I don’t want to intrude,” she scrunched her face up, the mere thought of being a burden weighing heavily on her. “I’ve already gotten in the way so much.”

“No you haven’t,” he quickly denied, hand moving to lay between her knee and upper thigh as a comforting gesture. “I like having you here, you’re definitely not a burden.”

“You promise?” she asked with a small laugh, looking up at him. She felt silly thinking she was getting in the way the more he spoke, especially thinking of how happy he’d been to cater to her every need when she’d been there.

“Yes,” he laughed, rolling his eyes playfully. “Now, do you want Lightning McQueen sheets or boring grey ones?”

Laughing on Justin’s bed with his hand resting innocently on her thigh, she didn't even know about the missed calls from Joe lighting up her phone in her bag downstairs.

490 notes · View notes