#dropped into nyc last last Wednesday and got food poisoning (or something) the first night

[blossom-hwa]

when ur stomach has been in strange conditions for over a week 💀

[itsgonnabe-brian-may]

hands

Joe Mazzello x reader

wc: 2.1k

warnings: angst & fluff, mentions of blood, mentions of violence, police,

//Please read at your own risk, it's nothing too graphic but could be upsetting and I really don't want to upset anyone. Also, anything remotely graphic will be after a Keep Reading note, but there is foreshadowing at the very beginning.

✦✧✦✧

The only thing you could focus on was your hands.

They were shaking. Shaking more than they would when hyped up on caffeine. Sure there was a lot more you could focus on besides your hands. Like the blue lights flashing in your peripheral vision. Or the unfamiliar voice in your ear. Or the sting of pain every time you moved your mouth. Or the weight of a blanket draped on your shoulders. Or the wind that was piercing through your thin jumper and leggings. Yet, all you could focus on was your hands. Oh, how you wished Joe's hands would reach out and hold onto them until they stopped.

Instead, his hands were mindlessly tapping on the steering wheel along to a song he would later turn off immediately if it played on the radio. The only thing he could focus on was the smell of Chinese food that wafted throughout his car. The flashing red and blue lights that sped past him meant nothing. It was New York City, cops were part of the environment. The brief acknowledgment towards the cop cars speeding past brought up memories of when Y/N first arrived in NYC.

Flashback

"Joe, what kind of neighborhood do you live in? I thought you said it was safe, " you asked concern written all over your face.

"What do you mean?" He asked looking up from the lunch menu.

"There are so many-," You began to say but a siren followed by flashing lights sped by, so you just nodded towards the street. ",-cops"

"You shouldn't have anything to worry about unless you're a criminal... Oh, you're a criminal aren't you?" Joe asked raising a brow, biting back a smirk.

"No! I'm offended you thought I could ever do something illegal," you gasped placing a hand on your heart to show how much offense you took. "You're the one that they're really after, I'm just the distraction," you winked.

From that day on you and Joe would always joke around that the police were out to get the other. Joe would tackle you and pin your arms behind your back so that the police would "have an easier time". You always gently pushed Joe towards the cop car and yelled,

"Run Joe, run before they catch you." Though you could never get through the sentence without laughing.

The joke even went so far as you guys dressing up as Bonnie and Clyde for one of Bohemian Rhapsody's Cast's Halloween parties, and when Ben showed up as a cop and 'arrested' Joe you lost it. Ben just ended up handcuffing Joe to him for the entire night, which ruined your "couple" costume but made Ben's a whole lot better. There was definitely a few posts about it on Instagram. No one could get enough.

It was after that night you realized you had a crush on Joe. Mazzello seemed to fit perfectly in place of L/N. Of course, nothing was done about the crush. Both of you were afraid of ruining what you had.

End Flashback

A phone call brought Joe's attention back to reality. The phone could wait, Chinese food could not. Again. And Again. After the fourth time, he hastily picked up. He always hated being on the phone while driving.

"Hello," he said pressing the phone to his ear.

"Hey, Joe, I just wanted to let you know that you got the role!" his manager said cheerfully.

"What no way! I'm driving right now but I'll call you back as soon as I get home!" Joe said hanging up. Now he was even more ecstatic to get back to the apartment and tell you. You had been solely platonic roommates for 6 months now, and always the first person to find out each other's new roles. Originally you had come to audition for roles in movies and Joe, who you had met on the set of Bohemian Rhapsody, had offered to let you stay at his apartment. It was only supposed to last 2 weeks for auditions. But after that random Wednesday night, you were in 'The Big Apple' for another 6 months at least. When Joe's lease ran out, you found an apartment to share and the rest had been history. Of course, living with someone lead to learning a lot more about them than you had wanted, but neither of you was bothered by the newfound knowledge. However, both of you never figured out that the other shared the same nonplatonic feelings.

Joe had been trying to figure out when and if he could ask you out on a proper date, this was his idea. Chinese food and a movie, with a small bouquet of flowers to make it official. If it all backfired he could say the flowers were for the apartment. Right?

His thumbs tapped the steering wheel quicker, the radio still off from his phone call. The sounds of sirens ringing in his ears. Not-unusual for a Friday.

Parking in an empty spot a block down the street he was too caught up in hunger and anxiety that he failed to notice the blue lights flashing in his peripheral vision.

After that everything seemed to move at lightning speed and slow motion at the same time. The flowers in his hands dropped on the pavement. They landed with a bounce that sent yellow and white petals flying. The distinct crinkle of the wrapping filled the air as a passing car's wheels crushed the flowers further into the asphalt. His hands flew at miraculous speeds whipping out his phone speed dialing your number.

Every sense coursing through his body was heightened. The feeling of his phone pressed against his ear. The ringing tone bore through his skull. His feet pounded on the street. Your voicemail message making the knot in his stomach grow. He thought he was going to puke.

'Take care of it after you know Y/N is okay," he thought. Knowing you had done the same for him.

Flashback

"jOeY," Y/N called, clearly tipsy but still extremely worried.

He was on the ground, his head throbbed. Why? He couldn't tell you. Later he found out it was because the table he and Ben were dancing on had tipped sending both flyings. Yet, the concussion he had was attended too by Y/N before she dealt with her food poisoning.

End Flashback

Arriving at the apartment building was overwhelming. The yellow police tape was bright enough to give him a headache. The lights sure weren't helping. His eyes strained trying to find you. Dozens of people and law enforcement officers were there. Everyone with Y/H made his heart skip a beat in anticipation. He ran a hand through his hair still whipping his head around in all directions. Your number ringing again and again on the phone in his hand that was practically glued to his right ear.  

The sight of a frantic redhead caught the attention of an officer who explained that an apartment had been broken into, and he would be able to return to his apartment in about an hour or so.

"My girlfriend," Joe panicked, not registering what words had come out of his mouth.

"Sir-"

"She was in our apartment, hasn't picked up her phone, I was gone for like twenty minutes, getting food, Whose apartment was it? Was anyone hurt? Oh, and I got flowers, yellow ones, and white ones, but I dropped them" He rambled to the officer, still looking for your figure among the crowds.

"Sir, it was 239 C"

Those words made him freeze,

"Oh, god. That's ours,"

"Sir, come with me," The officer said whilst lifting up the obnoxious yellow tape. Motioning him to follow.

You were sitting on the front steps of the apartment complex. Your phone buzzed in your lap, Joe still hadn't hung up, but you were to numb to notice the vibrations. Your mind still fixated on the shake of your hands. A pair of strong hands over yours had snapped you out of your daze. Your wish had been answered.

"Y/N?" Joe asked nervously as he kneeled on the pavement, his jeans not providing much protection from the rough concrete, but it was a minute detail that didn't matter. The only thing that did matter, was the feeling of your hand's under his.

"Joe," you said letting out a breath you didn't know you were holding.

"I-I - you're okay," He whispered looking up at you.

"Yeah, the EMT's cleared me," you responded quietly looking back at him. You were clearly not at your best but it didn't matter, it was Joe. You had walked into the intruder leaving, they did nothing but push you into the room on top of glass shards before sprinting away. The cut above your eyebrow and on your lip were only superficial and didn't need stitches. Overall you were okay. Especially now that Joe was here.

With the assurance that you were okay, there was no hesitation. One hand stayed on yours the other gently moved to your chin. At the same time, one of yours moved with to touch his on your chin. He leaned in gently. Carefully and sweetly kissing you. It seemed as if your lips were molded to fit together. His were soft. So were yours, despite the cut. After what felt like an eternity he pulled back so that your foreheads were touching. "You're okay," he repeated one more time breathlessly.

"I am Joe, I am more than okay," You said with a tight-lipped smile.

After staying like that for a while until Joe slowly stood up,

"Come on, let's get you out of here, we can deal with all of this in the morning," Joe said, still not letting go of your hand.

"Where?" You asked, not in the right mindset to think about it.

"I'll call Rami, don't worry about it," he said reassuringly waiting while you stood.

The pace back to his car was slow, meandering. Your hands still connected as they swung gently with the momentum of your walk. The flowers were still there. Still crushed, though they had been embedded further into the asphalt by the weight of cars. Joe's eyes glanced at them, their meaning still there, yet they were no longer needed. He was sure that the flowers wouldn't change the outcome of the night.

Your hands broke briefly as you climbed in respective seats in the car. Joe dialed Rami's number as your hands reconnected over the center console. Instead of tapping his thumbs on the steering wheel his free hand's thumb rubbed over your knuckles. Silence filling the atmosphere with a sense of calm and affection that would have been ruined by the 90's rap that was constantly blasting in Joe's car.

The second time your hand's drifted apart that night was when you had arrived at Rami's apartment in a suburb outside of New York. Lucy and Rami went out to embrace the two of you. Lucy’s arms wrapped around your shoulders gently as you walked up the stairs. No one really talked about details, they were just glad to see you okay. 

It was late. It had to be around 11:45, but you paid no attention to the time. The entire night had been a blur and you were ready to go to bed.

Soon you were in a borrowed sweatshirt, which Lucy swore was hers, but you knew it was Rami's. Thankfully he was too tired to say anything about it. The dining room had been made into a makeshift bedroom like it had been hundreds of times when the cast was too drunk to drive home. Two air mattresses with matching duvet sets, certainly from IKEA replaced the table and chairs. Lucy had kissed your cheek goodnight and placed a knowing hand on Joe's shoulder before the actual official couple returned to their room.

"Hey," you spoke up softly looking up at Joe.

He was probably telling the rest of the boys what had happened. You could never be too careful, you could never know if your address was leaked or if it was pure chance that it was your apartment broken into.

However, at the sound of your voice, Joe placed the phone down and sat next to you. The air mattress shifted sending you two a little closer.

"Hey," he responded looking at you with the softest expression you had ever seen. He clearly cared. "Still doing okay?" he asked searching your expression for pain or fear.

"Yea, especially now that you're here," you responded leaning your head on his shoulder.

If he was taken back by your action, Joe didn't show it. He pressed a kiss to your temple, whispering sweet nothings into your hair. Mostly to himself, but you heard it. Soon he was holding you in his arms, your head on his chest, your hands intertwined once again. You had fallen asleep long ago, Joe, however, was soaking in the affection like it was the last time, which it most certainly wasn't. Both of your prayers had been answered, your hands had found their way into his.