#every night im like i will not stay up till the literal morning making gifs and yet i keep doing it

[skitskatdacat63]

2009 Japanese Grand Prix - Sebastian Vettel(cont.)

[saliseburi]

“Thank You” (Joe x Reader)

EDIT: Souuu i noticed that the fic is starting to get a lot more traction which i am very thankful for! but i also felt the need to write it a lot better, so i rewrote many parts and the new version is on AO3 Only while the older one will stay here, anyway i hope you will enjoy!

On AO3

A/N i finished watching Megalobox yesterday and i was so happy Seeing Joe happy at last, so i stayed up all night writing this to express my love for this character and how much i wanted to hug him during my entire viewing of Nomad haha, lord did he deserved it. so strap in its gonna be a long one 

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You’ve  met Joe when he was known as the “Junk dog”, he’d always come to get drinks at a bar above the underground ring where you worked at, at first you weren’t fond of him, you though he was the same as any other boxer who comes here after a match: loud, unbearable, full of themselves, and very disrespectful to you, but he was different, he didn’t hesitate to get up and put someone in their place for being rude and nasty to you, one time he even got up and punched the living daylight out of someone twice his size for overstepping boundaries and touching you, his kindness was something you weren’t used to seeing in your workplace. he was acting like your private bodyguard, even offered to walk you back home and waited till you got in, for extra safety

soon enough it hit you that that you in fact are in love with him

He’d come to see you every night, and talk to you for hours. no matter how badly beaten and bruised he’d be

"ugh JD you're not going to die if you'll be absent for a day but you will die for not taking care of yourself!" you scolded him

"relax, it's literally just scratches I have been in worst state and survived, "  he shrugged and finished the drink that you made for him

"doesn't mean you have to push till you break" you mumbled and continued to clean the cups "by the way, im sorry i can't watch your fights but" you glare at your boss who is in snoring all the way back "somebody is too cheap to hire new bartenders" 

"psh don't sweat it, i promise you, You really don't want to see me fighting down there, wait till i get to the real ring and fight for real" He said with determination in his eyes 

A yes the “real ring” something that he wants more than anything, being tired of always being nothing but a grifter For Nanbu to make quick cash, for once he wanted to actually fight, to feel alive, feel that he is fighting with a purpose.  

"hah, i think this day will come sooner than you think" you winked at him and he chuckled in response 

***

One night, the bar was empty and JD came in with very wide smile on his face.  

“Whats the matter? Did Yuri returned for a rematch?” you asked

“Not yet….” He replied with and took out a flyer and what seemed to be a passport and gave them to you

“But It will happen, very soon” he watch you unfold the flyer, a smile never leaving his lips, your eyes went wide

"No way! Megalonia?! You serious?!” you exclaimed

“Yep, now you finally can watch me fight for real” he said with the biggest smile

“Ah! im so happy for you!” you hugged him from across the table nearly making him fall. You realized what you’ve just done and quickly pulled away

“oh s-sorry, I got too excited” you said with a flushed face

“it’s all good” he said grinning

You now opened the passport and saw his new name

“Joe huh?...it really does suit you”

“Thanks, I picked it myself” he paused “Me and pops are leaving in the morning”

A wave of sadness hit you

“Oh.”

You closed the bar as usual, despite it being your lazy ass boss who was the owner you were given the responsibility to close it

Joe walked you back home for the last time, his smile never leaving his face you never saw him this happy before.

“well I guess I’ll keep cheering you on from the distance, as always” you said turning towards him

Before you went to your apartment you gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, when you pulled away Joe swiftly grabbed your hands which made you jump a little. You couldn’t move, Your face was heating up, your heart was going crazy and you 100%  were sure he could hear it. He didn’t say anything neither did you, but everything was clear, he leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on your lips and you kissed back, It was very slow and intimate, both of you wanted it to last long but you pulled away so you could finally breath. 

you both couldn't help but laugh

“sooo….” You started “how long have you felt this way?”

“I mean, was walking you all the way home wasn’t obvious enough?” he raised an eyebrow

“oh...i though you were…just being nice” you felt embarrassed.

“and you?” now it was his time to ask

“I guess….after the 3rd time you walked me back home?” you said, burying your red face into Joes chest, it rumbled with laughter, he though it was adorable seeing you get all shy.

“ 3rd times the charm eh?” he teased

“very funny  Mr “im leaving tomorrow so better make a move now” ”

“Touché”  he said “alright it’s getting late, time for you to go to bed” he tapped your shoulders and pushing you gently to the direction of your apartment

for some reason you got a little cocky, maybe because it's the only opportunity you'll get

“hey, how about you come in this time?” you offered with a smirk

“....oh” his eyes went wide eyes “well, if you so insist” he grinned

and so he followed you all the way into your apartment. You unlocked the door and flicked the lights, your place was tiny but livable you didn't expect Joe to be so wowed by your place, so much so that he whistled

“Hah Are you that impressed ?” you asked whilst taking off your jacket and threw it on a couch

“it’s sure better than my truck” he said and also taking off his jacket

“well I’d like to see what you’ll think of my bedroom” you smirked and open the door to the bedroom. A king sized bed with a tv, the biggest room in the apartment

“this place used to be an old hotel by the way” you walked closer to the bed

“I suppose a love hotel?” Joe got closer to you

“it is now” you started to wrap arms around his neck

“impatient aren’t we?” he teased          

“not my fault you are leaving in the morning” you playfully slap his shoulder and he hisses in pain                  

“o-oh god im sorry-eek!”

You were cut off by Joe grabbed you by the waist and throwing you on the bed, you didn't have much time to process what just happened but there he was, smirking looking down at you holding your wrist above your head. As much as he hated being a grifter he had to admit that it does come in handy 

“gotcha”

****

after the fun night the sun decided to remind you that its it’s time say your goodbyes for now, you got all dressed up and ready to send Joe on his way to the glorious megalonia

“make me proud Joe!” you said gently hitting his chest

“I will, for sure. Thank you” he said kissing you goodbye and leaving you apartment 

you really wished you could be with him, cheer and support him on the ring, but you have to work and survive, you have to accomplish your own dreams like him, so that he could be happy and proud of you too.

***

Weeks pass, you were watching Joe’s matches from your bar’s television that you bribed your boss to get, you told him that it will make costumers come here often to watch Megalonia and watch the main spectacle, Joe or the “Gearless Joe”, and so he did. you’d notice that Many of the costumers would flirt and hit on you for being “Gearless Joe’s girlfriend”, a gossip that your boss spread around to get even more costumers, which annoyed you greatly.

on the bright side he did gave you a rise since you were, for the lack of better words “the star” of the bar and he finally hired new bartenders, and a bouncer even. as much of a cheap asshole he was he understood that you alone couldn’t serve so many costumers at once, and he doesn’t want anyone to cause any chaos

While watching The matches You did notice that Joe stood out like a sore thumb in more ways than him fighting gearless, like the sheer amount of scars on his face and body, it was indeed strange that so many megalonia boxers had little to zero scars, what was even odd since they were the ones with heavy gears on their body. Which in your eyes made Joe look even sexier, him being all raw and dirty compared to overly professional and clean boxers

***

 After you begged your boss for lord knows how long and how many times, he finally let you take a week off. you went to visited Joe, Nanbu and their new members Sachio, Bonjiri, Santa and Ochio. 

You were so happy seeing Joe again that You jumped and hugged him so hard that you literally knocked the wind out of him, you a petite compared to the a strong “Gearless Joe”, made him fall on the ground, he was also overjoyed to see you again, the kids started to cringe at the sign of you both.

Just like back in the bar, you and Joe talked for hours on end, you catch up on things you both missed out, he told you about his matches and opponents, how he was almost busted for having a fake id and how he couldn’t move for days because of his fight with Aragaki. He told you about Nanbus sacrifice, which surprised you since you never knew how much Nanbo actually cared for Joe, so much so that he give up his sight for him.

And you’d tell him about how you became the celebrity in your Bar because your ass Boss started to market the place as a “Gearless Joes favorite place and where his Girlfriend works” and all the costumers started to flock. This made Joe laugh but he also asked you to write down a list of everyone who bothered you so that he can teach them a lesson later, you giggled.

***

You noticed that Joe wasn’t sleeping next to you, It’s a night before his fight with Yuri so you got up too look for him and saw him leaning on the boat alone in his thoughts.

“somethings wrong?” you asked and leaned on the boat as well next to him

“no nothing….” He said, unsure

“are you nervous?”

“hah I can’t tell honestly…. Maybe im nervous or too excited to have a rematch with Yuri again, after all he really gave me the spark”

“whatever it may be, you should get some sleep, you don’t want to stretch and yawn the entire match do you now?” you grabbed his arm

“ha ha definitely not, it’s just that im not that sleepy”

“then I’ll sing you lullabies and or tell you few bedtime stories” this made Joe laugh “come on now megalo box champion”

“im not, at least not yet”

“for me you already are” you cupped his face and gave him a soft cheek kiss, he turned his head and aimed for your lips, it was slow at the start but became more passionate, you pulled away

“At very least lets continue it upstairs” you winked and dragged him up, he chucked in response

You both quietly got upstairs not wanting to wake anyone up, which also meant that you unfortunately have to be quite when you are gonna do your business

When you reached Joes room he quickly pulled you in for a kiss, it wasn’t slow one this time he was definitely more impatient than you were. Your arms reached all over his neck pressing yourself into him hard. He suddenly hissed harshly from the pain, you quickly pulled away

“o-oh im sorry! Did i hurt you?”

“ah it’s no biggy, don’t worry” he reassured you, putting his hand across his shoulder and chest

you didn’t buy it and started to slowly take off his shirt, and you saw a new scar on the same location he put his hand on, it was quite a big one, Joe suddenly felt shy being shirtless in front of you

“hey…I told you not to-“ you cut him off by placing your hand very gently on that scar, well it was more hovering than actually touching him since you were really afraid of hurting him again. None the less your barely there touches sure made Joes body react to you, his breath hitched which pleased you greatly. You started to actually place your fingers on the scar tracing it slowly.

“Does it hurt when I touch you like this?” you asked looking up to him 

“n…no, not at all” he responded with a heavy breath, the way his body was responding to you even though you haven’t done anything but touch his scar made you feel like a seductress

“then let me…” you started to kiss his scar, still trying to be very careful. Joe’s body started to tense up his hands grip tighter on your hips. You started to lower down giving his other scars some attention and trace some with your fingers which made him tickle giving him a quick reflex to flip you over, Gripping your hands next to your head

“g-god damn it, you are going to be the end of me” Joe exclaimed hovering above you

“you mean im not already?” you said all smug

“why you- c’mere!” Joe said swinging you up on his lap, he started tickle you and kiss all over your neck and collarbone, your weak spot. he also snuck his hand and gave your ass a squeeze, you gave something that was a mix of squeal and a moan.

Suddenly someone opened the door

“whats with all the noi-“ a familiar voice said, you and joe turned to see it was sachio who was all red when he saw the position you two were in, he slowly started to close the door acting as if he was blind. You both couldn’t help but snort and laugh in response

“okay maybe we should save it after my victory, 2 rounds is a bit too much but I wouldn’t mind extra new scars” Joe said looking up to you

“only 2 rounds?” you asked, a bit unaware of the innuendo, Joe quirked his eyebrow

"O-oh" you finally got the hint Joe laughed and you hit him on the spot where his new scar was.

You both laid next to each other and traced his scars on his face and chest in very slow and hypnotic way until he finally fell asleep.

***

Junk dog, Joe, Gearless Joe and now a Megalo box Champion, seeing his dreams come true was the happiest moment for you, everyone even some of his boxing opponents came celebrated his accomplishments by throwing a big party for him, Even Yuri and his trusted pup decided to come along, Joe wasn’t only Megalo box champion but an inspiration to everyone including you.

The sun has set and you started to clean up the table little by little with kids helping you out a bit, Joe popped in asking if you’d like to go for a walk with him, you gladly agreed.

it was a very peaceful and cool night.

“told you I was right” you nudge at him

“didn’t doubt you for a second” he chuckled “listen I wanna to ask you something, something very important” he said it more like a whisper

“what is it? Im all ears”

He took your hands

“what would you say if I’d told you to….” He paused , you were on the edge waiting for him to finish his sentence, he enjoyed teasing you that way, he leaned in and whispered in your ear   “come and live with me?”

you smiled widely

“hah, what a question, of course! I’d love to” you said hugging him, he lifted and spun you which made you giggle

“Thank you” Joe said kissing your cheek

***

Time passes, you and Joe live together in a small yet comfortable apartment, he, Nanbu, Aragaki and Sachio have opened up “Gym Nowhere” where they trained and recruit boxers, and after all the hard work in that shitty bar , you finally opened your Café and Flower shop “Sunflowers” after the Nickname Joe gave you.

Everything was going very well, until old man Nanbu got very sick. Joe would spend most of his time in either hospital or in gym, he forced himself to be strong he couldn’t show himself weak in front of Sachio or other kids, youd try your best to give him as much emotional support as possible, you knew how much toll this took on him, how much Nanbo, his only mentor in life means to him. despite him trying his best to look calm you cannot recall how many nights he’d pass out from crying in your arms.

Boxing was his way to relief himself from all the stress, he was practicing all day and night for his next megalo box match after a year, his is going to face Liu who was Trained by Yuri. He was basically sleeping in the gym these past few days and you'd go to check up on him to make sure he was okay

"hey, How are you holding up?" You walked towards Joe who was sitting near the ring, taking a time out

"well...im trying, somehow" he said whilst wiping his face with a towel 

"hey um, can i...ask you for a favor?" Joe asked standing up and turning to face you, he was looking very nervous

"sure, what is it?" You said taking his hands

"could you, visit the old man in my place?..." he was avoiding your eyes, he felt ashamed asking you this, you tilted his head so yours eyes could meet

"of course, i will" you gave him a gentle smile

"i-im sorry that im making you do this but i just-"

"Joe, you don't need to explain, i understand" You cup his face with both of your hands, he gives you a sad smile and wrapped arms tightly around your waist pulling you into a tight hug

***

You finally Arrived at the hospital, the kids were standing outside of Nanbus room, they were Happy to see you but noticed that Joe wasn't with you Sachio jumped from his seat and as expected he was furious 

"He's not here again?!" Sachio shouted

"Sachio don't be so loud!" Ochio scolded him

"How long is planning to continue this?! doesn't he understand that the old man needs him here?!" he said in much quieter voice but with unchanged rage

"Sachio, he does all that for him-" You tried explain to him

"I don't think so! he just wants to run away from reality" he glared you, and you could see tears slowly appearing on his eyes, he cannot hold back any longer. you took a deep breath and lowered down at Sachios level

"you...aren't completely wrong, but it's his only way of dealing with everything. one day you'll understand" you tried to reach out for him but he slapped your hand away and left to cry alone, you were thinking of going after him but it was for the best to give him some space

"Is..is everthing going to be alright?" Bonjiri asked you shyly

"...i don't know" you mumbled quietly to yourself. 

***

Joe’s Match is already here, you were in the hospital with Sachio next to the old man he is in the worst shape, breathing as shallow as ever, you were holding his hand to remind him that he wasn’t alone. Nanbou suddenly squeezed your hand tightly, and started to choke. Sachio quickly ran out to call the doctor and you called Aragaki informing him of Nanbus condition getting critical.

The rest of the kids have arrived quickly, their faces, pale full of worry, Nanbus breathing was very shallow, it was apparent that he had very, very little time left, you kept hoping that Joe could make it on time, but it was already too late. The kids were crying nonstop you tried to be the strong adult and hold your tears but you couldn’t and rushed outside, you bumped into Joe, bruised, and exhausted.

"ho-how is he?" he asked breathlessly

you broke down into him in response, the answer was clear. Joe expected this to happen but he was still in shock, you could feel his pain, his body tensed up and breathing very heavily, he hugged you tight and comforted you even though, you thought you should be the one doing that to him.

***

Joe was all numb and quite since the passing, he couldn’t bring himself getting close to Nanbus grave stone during the burial so he stayed behind.

“here i don’t want you to get sick” you said offering him the umbrella

“don’t worry, i’ll just stay under this tree” he said, trying to smile. you complied not wanting to push him too hard

"then at least let me place them for you" You said offering to place Joe's small bouquet of daisies, he looked down at them he was hesitant to give them to you since your hands looked full from holding your own bouquet in one and an umbrella on the other 

"but you-"

"don't worry, i can take it" you gave him a gentle smile, Joe smiled back at you just very lightly and finally gave you his bouquet 

“Thank you”  he whispered 

You went close to Nanbus grave and placed yours and Joes bouquet. Moments later you went back to check up on him only to see that he is completely gone

***

It has been 7 years after Joe left, Things have changed for the worst, the typhoon destroyed “Gym Nowhere”, and damaged your café/flower shop, the insurance could cover so little so you mostly had to start from the scratch, rebuilding it slowly. 

The kids grew up, you were still in touch with them, well except for Sachio who you haven’t see for a long time. your last encounter with him ended in a huge fight, after Sachio slipped out of anger and admitted that he was the one who told Joe to leave and never show up, you swore if it wasn’t for Aragaki stopping you both, you would have slapped Sachio across the room, but thankfully you didn’t.

You still live in the same apartment you shared with Joe, his stuff untouched, much like everyone you were frustrated that he left without telling you anything, you were so stressed and worried sick for him, you even went darker and thought if he even was alive at this point?

***

It was a typical day in your café, business slow as usual. a costumer came in, a sweet old man asking for the breakfast menu and you served him gladly with a gentle smile.  Suddenly in your Peripheral vision you saw a figure standing outside , you were worried that it could have been the mafia, so you quickly went outside with a knife in your hand to scare them away, but to your surprised no one was there. You could have sworn you saw someone, But it it very well could have been your paranoia. 

The mafia had been bothering and terrorizing everyone a lot these past years, ever since Joe left, almost as if the protector was not around anymore, the mafia was more confident to mess with people. 

You felt relief that it wasn’t them, Before you got back inside, you noticed that a single daisy was missing from one the bouquets you’ve made

***

It was late night, raining, you exited the store after buying groceries and were on your way back home. until you saw a somewhat familiar figure, walking alone, your heart sank when you started to recognize him but you weren’t fully sure how right you were, none the less you approach him.

he heard your footsteps and turned his head

“Joe?” you asked

Joe saw your face and froze, he tried to run but you quickly stopped him by grabbing his wrist, he was embarrassed and terrified.  he was bracing for the worse, you to yell, scold or kick him for leaving.

But instead you, started move your umbrella close to him, sheltering him from the rain and reached your hand to cup his cheek to turn his head so that his eyes finally met yours, your heart broke when you saw his state, his face rough, more scarred, his eyes heavy and exhausted. you and the kids might have had hard 7 years but it was obvious that Joe took the most damage imaginable.

You start to caress his face gently tracing his scars, Joe didn’t expect such gesture from you, he was scared and prepared for you to slap him at any moment but he couldn’t resist leaning into your soft, gentle touch

“i…im so sor-“ Joe finally spoke up but you interrupted him

“Shhh,” you cut him off grabbing his hand and started to take him back to your and his apartment.

“come on now, I don’t want you to get sick” you echoed the same phrased from 7 years ago. you kept surprising him with how kind you were to him, too kind, he thought. he stayed silent all the way, he felt too shameful to talk to you.

You opened the door and put the groceries on the table. Joe got in very hesitantly, he looked around surprised to see that it mostly stayed the same as he remembered, which made him smile a bit

“what’s wrong? Have you forgotten that is your apartment too?” you asked shaking your umbrella and putted in a corner for it to dry

“why...are you acting as if nothing happened?” his said glancing up on you a little but not brave enough to fully meet your eyes

“we’ll talk once you’ll take a shower and change your clothes, they are still in the same place as you left” you said and started to unpack the groceries

Joe was speechless, he expected you ignore him or act like he never ever existed in your life, but you didn’t.  he though he didn’t deserve you, you were always so supportive, so understanding, so patient with him, you were always listening to him and doing all the emotional labor when Nanbu was dying, and what did he do in return? he left you and everyone, he was an asshole. a selfish asshole

“do you perhaps want a bath? i can prepare it for you” you asked snapping him back to reality

“n-no, im fine with just a shower” Joe said going to the bathroom.

Moments have passed and you prepared food for both you and Joe, he got out of shower in fresh clothes and a towel across his neck. you finished setting up the table

“come on, I know you are hungry” you tapped on the chair gesturing him to sit down and Joe complied. he finally spoke

“I thought you’d be the most angry at me” Joe said avoiding looking at you in the eyes

“oh I was angry when you left, of course, very angry, but more than that I was worried, and scared. I thought that…you were gone, for good. i kept reassuring myself that it’s Joe for fucks sake, if anyone knows how to survive , it’s him! He became a champion for a reason” your eyes started to water

Joe finally looked up at you.

“yea i was frustrated but...now im just glad seeing that you’re okay” you said sobbing, and Joe pulled you close in a hug and you hugged back tightly

“Im sorry….im so sorry” he buried his face on your shoulder.

Years may have passed but it seems that you and Joe’s bond hasn’t changed, the night went on with you and him talking for hours like before. he told you about a person he met named “Chief”. Chief was the one that made Joe get back on his feet and face his fears by coming back home to everyone, joe was also given Chief’s own gear to remember him, a Gear that he and his son made together. Joe felt like he was given the gift of second chance by him and you couldn’t be more thankful that Joe met someone as kind and inspiring as Chief.

Obviously When he came back things didn’t went smoothly, everyone except for Bonjiri and you weren’t too keen on his return.

"by the way, um sorry for stealing one of your daisies" he rubbed back of his head 

"huh? t-that was you?!"

"yea, i really wanted to see you but, after my encounter with everyone, and especially Sachio i thought you'd also wouldn't want to see me, so... Im sorry"

"Sachio huh?" you looked down, yea he would be the one who would shoo off Joe the moment he'd be back "Joe look, I know that Sachio was the one who told you to-"

"Please, Please don't Blame him" he cut you off and took your hands "just please, don't" 

"sigh, Even After everything you probably been through, you haven't lost your kindness" You couldn't help but Smile at him, 

you had a feeling that he wasn’t telling you everything but it was okay, what mattered to you that he is alive and back.

“im going to rebuild it” he said

“hm? rebuild what?...” you asked

“Gym nowhere”

You raised an eyebrow

“Joe, you know you cant take it all back”

“I know…but it’s for the old man, to keep the spark going” he said looking at you

“okay, then I’ll help you out too, don’t try to stop me”

He chuckled and kissed the back of your hand

“Thank you”

***

One day when you and Joe took a time off from rebuilding the gym, he was helping you out at your Café, trimming and decorating flowers into a nice bouquet, he was pretty good at and felt very therapeutic for him, he really enjoyed white and yellow flowers especially.

“you’d make a great florist” you giggled

“hah, you really think so?”

“of course, you’re doing pretty well and i could always use a helping hand” you smiled at him gently

he wanted to place the flowers outside but when he stood up he suddenly got all dizzy and nearly fainted. Luckly you quickly noticed it and You gave him a glass of cold water, sprinkled a bit on his face to make him come back to his senses .

“ Hey whats wrong?! are you okay?!” you said and started to check his temperature, he was very hot “i’ll call the doc-” 

“n-no don’t im just...tired thats all” he reassured you

“Joe you shouldn’t brush these symptoms off” 

“i am not, trust me im fine...really, i’ll take a nap and be okay, sorry for making you worry...” he smiled gently at you

“sigh...fine, if you say so” you complied, but you had a very bad feeling that something was bothering him

****

that day wouldn't be the first time you'd see Joe acting strange, a few days later you went to bed early after a busy day.

“uughhh….”  You were awaken by Joes grunting and sudden movements

“Joe?” you said half sleep

“ah….gh…no i…I didn- im sor- ghh!” he was talking to his sleep, trembling. you grabbed his shoulder and started to shake him 

“Joe! wake up it’s just a dream jo- ekk-“ you yelped as he jolted up, he was all sweaty, breathing heavily, hands shaking

“Joe…Joe look at me” you said grabbing his hand to make him come back to reality and turning his head to face you

 it’s okay Joe, everything’s okay, it was all but a dream” you started gently stroke his cheek

"drea...dream?" he said breathlessly as if he ran a marathon

”Yes, a dream. You’re with me, see? all safe and sound.” you said in calming voice "everything's okay"

"dream...haah...aahh" He panted and lowered his head and on your shoulder, You hugged him tightly. The light from the small lamp managed to show his scars, You started to trace them slowly and gently, Joe begun to lean into your touch you could feel his breathing was slowly getting a lot more calmer. this went on for a while and you didn't spoke a word until joe finally broke the silence

“Im so sorry…so sorry for leaving everybody” he said. voice hoarse, like he was holding tears.

“shhh shh...everythings okay now...its gonna be okay. I promise” pulled away to cup his face and begin to kiss the scars on his face very gently and slowly Starting the one that’s on his forehead, moving down to under the the eye and across the jaw and chin,  tears start to run down his face, being overwhelmed with you gestures after such a long time of being neglected from such love.

You didn't ask him about the dream, this wasn't a time and place for it, what mattered is to remind Joe that he was loved. You pulled away and notice that his eyelids were getting tired, you leaned back and pulled him to your chest, wrapping your arms around him

"it's okay, you are safe, you can sleep now" you ran your fingers through his hair, he hugged you tightly burying his face in your neck

"Thank you"  he whispered

***

After that incident you didn't asked joe about that dream, nor what has been bothering him, you really had no idea how you should bring it up to him but on the bright side, things seem to be going better, Ochio started to talk to Joe again, she was still harsh but it was better than before, Santa being the aspiring journalist has started spread the rumor that “Gearless joe is back”,  this headline caught many peoples attention especially Joe’s old Opponent, Liu. Who wanted a rematch he wasn’t satisfied with their last match.

This time it wont be the megalo box, but a private boxing match, while it took him a while Joe eventually agreed and sure enough beat him, it was an interesting bonding experience for the two

He started to show up on the public even went on the boxing match to show his support to Liu, you of course joined him along with Ochio, Santa, Bonjiri, but not Sachio.

Sachio was very stubborn, everyone may have softened and started to forgive Joe but not him, Sachio wouldn’t,  until Joe finally challenged him into a boxing match and gave him the ultimatum, If Joe wins Sachio will leave Boxing for good, if Sachio wins Joe will leave forever. you turned at Joe called him insane, Aragaki telling you to not interfere. Indeed Sachio wasn’t the only stubborn one in the room.

Sachio agreed and Joe stepped on the ring, despite everything Joe didn’t want to even scratch him. but Sachion on the other hand wasn’t holding back, it really felt like he was dumping all the frustrations he was holding in for years onto him, despite all of his punches Joe still managed to win. the fight more felt like a healing therapy session for both of them it really felt like the family is coming back together. 

Sachio was about to exit the room, you turned to your left and saw that Joe wasn’t feeling well, you quickly rush to him

“hey whats-JOE!”

He fainted on a ground you barely managed to catch him, Aragaki and Sachio quickly ran towards him

“JOE! JOE STAY WITH ME! JOE!”

he blacked out

***

Next thing he knew he was in the hospital with you sitting next to him holding his hand, Aragaki, Sachio and the rest by his side, the Doctor explained  he was suffering from the withdrawal symptoms from the drugs he was taking, you were upset that he didn’t told you about it but you were already worried to death about him, he didn’t want to stress you or anyone out even more.

“ugh just” you rubbed your temple “just please, promise me…no more secrets” you said in very worried tone

“I will” he squeezed your hand

***

When he got out of hospital he went back to rebuilding the gym this time others joined in, making the process a lot faster, after all the work was done you all decided to celebrate, he suggested to throw flower petals everywhere, he explained it’s to guide Nanbu, to find his way back home. you though it was very beautiful, so you helped him to pick and choose the brightest flowers.

Seeing him and Sachio finally make up almost made you cry, but all wasn’t over yet, He had a match coming up soon with Mac, “The Hero” Of Megalo box, a wild fighter who was merciless with his fight with Liu and almost made him meet his maker. you weren’t sure if Joe is stable enough to face him. The though of it made you shake. your eyes start to water, you didn’t want to ruin the fun and let anyone to see you like this so you walked behind the gym to hide, Joe obviously took a notice and followed you.

“Hey, whats wrong?” he asked 

“n-no nothing” you said, back turned trying to not choke,

Joe sighted and walked in front of you, your face was down, trying very hard to hold your tears

he tilted your chin up to look at him.

“no more secrets…right?” Joe said with soft smile, you took a deep breath

“i…, I know this match means everything to you,- but i-…i am scared” you start to sob Joe wraps his arms around you and brings in for a hug .

“if i...if I ever lose you, I will go insane” you chocked, you grip on him tighter as if he is going to disappear at any second

“Shhhhh” Joe tried to calm you down, rubbing your back in circular motions He gave you a couple of moments before he spoke

“even if i….even if it happens” he pulled away, cupping your cheeks and wiping away the tears “as long as you, Sachio and everyone will show me the path I know that I will always find my way back home, You’re my sunflower after all right?, so its gonna be really easy” he said in a calm voice and kissed your forehead, the last remark made you smile and heart flutter “I will never leave you” he whispered

you buried your face in his neck

“Can I...ask for a favor?” Joe asked, it made you pop your head up

“of course, anything” you said, Joe laughed at your quick response, he thought It was cute

“a bit embarrassing but….can you maybe, give me a trim?” he said scratching his head, he looked like a little boy, very adorable.

“why of course it’s an offer I cannot refuse” you giggled and ruffled his long, fluffy hair. you wrapped your arms around his neck and gave him a peck on the lips, which wasn’t enough for him so he leaned in to give you even deeper kiss. You suddenly hear a click and flash that made you both turn to see Santa with his camera grinning at you two

“now this would surely sell for millions, “Gearless Joe and his Girlfriend having a hot make out session!” Santa said laughing, this made both of you go red, Joe started to chase him down to get his camera.

"Hey! whats going on? is everything alright?" Ochio asked

 “Never better” you giggled in response 

***

The day is already here, only few hours left before the match begins, Joe is sitting on the chair and you are, carefully and slowly cutting his hair away, he really enjoys the process, your fingers running through his hair, the sound of scissors and spray bottle, you tilting his head very gently, it almost made him fall asleep, once you were done you gave joe the mirror to look on himself. Indeed he looked and felt like his old self again.

“i…am not a pro hairdresser but, I think I did well” you said

“you did more than well” he stood up and faced you

Sachio knocked the door before opening it, he smiled when he saw Joe looking the way he remembered him

“its time” He reminded him, Joe nodded in response

***

The match has begun you were sitting in the crowd with, Ochio, Santa and Bonjiri, Cheering on for Joe, he was wearing Chiefs gear, adjusted by Sachio, gramps and Ochio, he was doing super well at the beginning and you felt at ease as the the battle went on it more intense than, Mac started to get aggressive and fast with his punches, Joe nearly got knocked out which terrified you but luckily Sachio managed to bring him back to his senses, and he stood up.

the boxing continued it seemed that Mac and Joe were neck and neck, but it was Sachio who had to decided when everything had to stopped, and he finally did, he threw a towel, and Mac was announced as the winner.

Joe looked happy and congratulated him, all you worries washed away. Joe is alive, more than ever.

***

It’s hard to believe that after so many hard years, after everything Joe has been though, everything is back to way it was.  Sachio plans to go and study on Mechanics, he even asked Ochio if she’d liked to join but she refused she likes it with the gramps, Bonjiri suggested if your and his café could be combined as one, which you happily agreed on, Santa got many offers from publishing newspapers, Joe is retired from boxing and is focused more on training others, All and all everything is like it’s used to be.  

Before Joe got into the car to drop off Sachio he asked if you needed anything.

“just you coming back safe and sound” you smiled

“Really? Not even a fancy souvenir?” he tilted his head

“Well….yes actually, i’d fancy for....you” you giggled and pulled Joe for a slow kiss which made Santa, Ochio and Sachio cringe while Bonjiri thought it was sweet.

“Thank you, For everything” You whispered to him once you both pulled away.

[piningbuddies]

I posted 1,945 times in 2021

913 posts created (47%)

1032 posts reblogged (53%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 1.1 posts.

I added 1,261 tags in 2021

#asks - 247 posts

#personal - 171 posts

#rebecca rambles - 147 posts

#911 spoilers - 137 posts

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Longest Tag: 138 characters

#and they move around eachother and say everything they can’t verbalise in gentle touches to the back or side or soft kisses in the kitchen

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

TWO DAYS TILL WRAPPED IN RED

TWO DAYS TILL HIATUS

192 notes • Posted 2021-12-04 19:39:13 GMT

#4

i’m popping in to post some christmas at the 118 headcannons that i’ve been hoarding since we got santa buck. without further ado, here’s secret santa: 911 edition!

bobby gets buck and gets him a tacky apron saying “what’s cookin’ good lookin’?” and a homemade voucher book to visit the grant-nash household for dinner. buck doesn’t cry.

buck gets chim and literally just gets him the TACKIEST housewares with “brother in law” on. like you know those really ugly canvases you get on amazon for like $3? yeah those. he also uses it as an excuse to spoil jee because maddie never let him buy her loads of toys and clothes when she was born.

chim gets eddie. he gets him a cowboy hat with his name bejewelled on the back. he also gets chris a new 250 piece lego set because buying a present for chris IS buying a present for eddie. eddie loves it until approximately 9:30am on december 26th at which point he declares a ban on all lego products.

eddie gets hen. he buys her and karen a voucher for a really nice boutique restaurant downtown and also gets hen a cosy, knitted sweater. (“for those long nights in the library, doctor wilson.”)

hen gets ravi. she gets him a framed picture of the firehouse all together, alongside a couple of good books and a verbal promise that he’s welcome for dinner at the wilson’s whenever he likes.

lastly, ravi gets bobby. he’s super super nervous because that’s his BOSS, you know? he nervously hands bobby a coffee mug saying “best boss ever!”, some new plates for the firehouse kitchen and a hand-sewn throw pillow for when he naps on his office couch. it takes pride of place in his office and sits there for years.

bonus: maddie and athena team up to make everyone the world’s best christmas feast ever. buck swears up and down that it couldn’t have been maddie cooking. maddie smacks the turkey slice he was trying to steal out of his hand and gets him in a headlock. all is normal.

211 notes • Posted 2021-11-20 18:24:09 GMT

#3

no bc listen if i don’t get buck walking maddie down the aisle with the proudest little smile on his face and then a beautiful montage of maddie and chimney slow dancing with their found family surrounding them so happy they’ve found eachother after everything they’ve been through then what is the point

214 notes • Posted 2021-11-08 21:36:43 GMT

#2

🕯🕯🕯shhh i’m manifesting a buckley-han return in 5x10 🕯🕯🕯

220 notes • Posted 2021-11-17 19:28:40 GMT

#1

i just know buck would be the best fucking dad too like he’s the type to stay up till three am watching tutorials on youtube on how to style his baby girl’s hair because he always wants her to feel pretty (even though to him she’s always been the prettiest girl in the world) and he colour co-ordinates their outfits for father daughter dances and gives her a little corsage and does silly dances with her in the living room on a saturday morning when the rest of the world is asleep PLEASE GIVE BUCK A LITTLE BABY GIRL IM LOSING MY MIND

234 notes • Posted 2021-11-15 19:01:56 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

[forthecoloredgirl]

LIKE IM GOING TO LOOSE YOU | RUBEN LOFTUS-CHEEK

For the past few days you and Ruben had been going through a rough patch. The two of you just couldn’t see eye to eye on anything. It had come to the point where you thought he just wanted to argue. Early this morning he snapped at you for accidentally pouring him too much orange juice.

“Maybe if you had been paying some damn attention we wouldn’t have this mess!”

He snapped, throwing his hands in the air. All you could do was stare because you couldn’t really register that Ruben was actually upset about some over poured orange juice. Not saying anything you just grabbed a paper towel and began cleaning up the spill.

“Ruben it’s just orange juice.”

You said softly as you wiped up the last of the spill and dried the area. As you threw away the paper towel Ruben began.

“It’s just everything with you! Just this, just that, or just everything!”

He mocked

“Well what about you!? Huh!? Like there’s not a thing wrong with you Mr. IPitchAFitOverOrangeJuice.”

“Well if you weren’t too busy pissing me off, I’d probably wouldn’t be.”

“Oh please Ruben, everything thing pisses you off!!”

“Yeah everything about you!”

That hit a little too close to home and you had decided that you had enough. If Ruben felt that way, he could feel that way alone.

“Alright, if I piss you off some much than goodbye!”

Slamming your hands down, you got up from the table and went upstairs to Ruben’s room grabbing your purse and keys. Going back down stairs you headed right for the door and slammed it right as Ruben called for your name. If you pissed him off so much than why stay. You got into your car and drove off before Ruben could catch you, but before you could even get a mile down the road your phone was already ringing. Rolling your eyes you ignored it and kept driving.

•

Weeks passed by and you still had ignored Ruben like the plague. He was persistent and wouldn’t leave you alone. He would call, text, and even email to try and get your attention. However you weren’t entirely ready, if you had gone back to him would it just go back to more arguing or were the two of you actually capable of solving a problem. Thoughts ran through your head all day and you couldn’t even get your work done with all the things attacking your mind. Also it didn’t help that Chelsea had a very important match today, it was Manchester City and you knew how hard not only Ruben had been preparing for the match, but all the guys were. They had even had two extra practices. It hurt a little knowing you weren’t going to be there for Ruben, but how he treated you made you feel as if he didn’t even want you to be there in the 1st place. So why go support? You knew why, it was because you loved him and whether they lost or won today nothing was going to change the fact you loved him with all your heart.

Not being able to take it anymore, you stood from your desk got your car keys and bolted to your car.  You didn’t care that your natural hair was flying and lowkey a mess. Checking the time you had on your phone, you saw that there was 20 minutes till kickoff and thankfully you worked near the stadium, but you knew match day traffic wasn’t the best. So you opted to take the back roads and made it around to the players entrance with 5 minutes to spare. The lovely staff had quickly gotten you situated and in the front tow right as the first whistle was blown and it was officially game time. The butterflies in your stomach erupted in a frenzy and you were biting your nails before any team could complete a pass. Of course you were still mad, but you couldn’t wish any bad on Ruben at this time. You’d watch him from the moment he got injured to when he was fully healed up. You were there through all those sleepless nights out in the yard passing and shooting with him. You ensured he got up everyday and remember he was not just any player but THAT player so he could have the fuel to come back better than he was before.

That was the main reason you were sitting in this seat, you wanted to see all the work the two of you had put in for months! Finally it came to that moment when Ruben received a pass and your heart sped up a bit. In awe you watched as he cut to his left switching the ball, only to loose it to an on coming defender. You felt a little sadness in your heart, but Ruben quickly tracked down the defender, locked in, and successfully got the ball back. You thought he was going to just pass it afterwards as it was the safest option, but no you saw the confidence in his face as he turned his body in the direction opposite of their goal. His stance was completely different and he looked out for blood. He unexpectedly took off right down the middle, his speed was unmatched and he was dodging defenders from every angle. Once he’d successfully made it into the opposing teams 18 yard box he pulled the ball back cutting it behind his right foot and placed his body over the ball sending a shot toward the net. You watched as the ball float through the air and sail right into the upper corner of the goal!

The whole moment felt like it was in slow motion as the entire stadium erupted into cheers! You yourself were up on your feet screaming cheers of joy and clapping till the palms of your hands hurt. You’d been so hyped up you didn’t care for your 4C hair covering your face, you had seen what you needed to see, but when you finally removed the coils of curls from your face your eyes met his. It was as if he to were shocked, but what it about the goal or that you were there. He sent a light hearted smile your way, he looked unsure, but you gave him a big smile and a thumbs up. You didn’t want to ruin his glory, so you pushed all your hurt aside. What mattered now was beating City’s ass, then Ruben’s.

•

The game was a eventful one. Many counter attacks, scares, and of course highlighted moments that would definitely be replayed on BEIN later tonight. You were excited to re watch it all over again, but that’s only because Ruben ended the game with a goal and two assists send City home 3-1. The whole city of Chelsea were going home that night with smiles on their faces and the pub on their minds. As you walked out the stadium you could hear the fans still chanting “Thank You Rubey.” you could help but laugh a little.

You decided to use the players entrance as an exit as well, seeing that’s where your car was parked. As you searched your bag for your keys, you suddenly heard a rush of footsteps coming your way. Before you could look up you were engulfed into a tight hug. A hug from somebody you knew all too well.

For a moment the two of you didn’t say anything and stood there, but you decided to break it.

“Great game.”

“I don’t deserve you, seriously. You’re too good for me, a literal blessing from the heavens! But I’m not going to mess this up, I refuse! I’m going to earn you and your love like we earned the win today. You deserve to have me give you my absolute all and nothing less! I can’t really see living on or playing on with you. Just as we spent all those night preparing for this moment, I’m going to work just as hard to earn your love and maintain it. I’m going to love you like I’m going to loose you and I mean that.”

You were speechless at his declaration of love, but you knew this from the moment the two of met. All you could do is pull away from the hug a little and look up at him.

“It’s okay Ruben I-“

“No babe I want to make sure that everyday you felt my love. Wherever and whenever. I don’t care if we’re mad at each other or completely okay with each other, I’m going to do better. I love you so much”

He spoke as he leaned his forehead onto yours. Again you smiled and whispered that you loved him too.

“And to prove my love I’m going to detangle this mane of yours you decided not to moisturize.”

You couldn’t help but laugh aloud. This man was really the love of your life and it took some spilled orange juice to really realize it.

**NOT MY GIF** **If you would like to repost my work please give credit**

[0225pm]

it is currently 8:34am!!

just wanted to update on today’s events before i sleep.

so earlier this morning, i accompanied my mom to akmal’s madrasah graduation but rayhan managed to book out earlier than expected so he was able to come see the grad. but in the letter they said that they only allowed max of 2 people into the hall so i decided to just let my mom and rayhan go since tbh, i wasn’t wearing the proper attire to go in the masjid anyway. at first, i was kinda upset with my mom cus i didn’t see the point of me going if rayhan was going since only 2 people are allowed per child but then thinking of my mom going there on her own makes me worry a little since she’s rather frail so i decided to go with her and sent her to the masjid, waited for rayhan to come before making my way to bedok interchange.

it has been a rather long while since i’ve been to the interchange, or anyway really, on my own. i’m the kind of person that prefers having company than doing things alone. some may say that i lack independency but whatever it is, it’s always nice to have company. as i was walking around aimlessly in the mall, i thought of going to mcdonald’s to just lepak until my mom calls but it was too damn crowded and i missed the breakfast timing by a minute, so that was a bummer. but yeah, can you actually imagine me eating alone??? the last time i had to do that was back when i was working for YG at OG and taka, for my lunch break since i was working alone lol. but anyway, as i made my rounds at each levels, i finally decided to buy something to eat at old chang kee and then as i went back up the escalator, i thought of going to heartbeat but then again the thought of having to walk all the way there while i was socially sweating seems like a major no at that point so i decided not to and went to starbucks instead. alas, what a poor decision i’ve made. like literally, poor LOL cus i was $8.80 poorer after buying one of their christmas frappe lol and i didn’t even add whipped cream!! i should have said yes to whipped cream bc those are free unless you want extras, then you’ll have to pay. but anyway, the good thing is there was a lot of empty seats at starbucks which was quite weird considering that it’s a saturday but i was thankful cus it means that i didn’t have to stand awkwardly waiting for my mom to call.

so after i collected my drink, i sat down and i watched a couple episodes of chilling adventures of sabrina on netflix. luckily i downloaded a few so i managed to save on data haha but i didn’t think to bring my portable charger and my battery was getting pretty low after awhile. also i noticed that the person spelled my name as “hady” instead of “heidy” lol but wtvr doesn’t bother me. and then i think around 1+ almost 2, my mom called saying that they’re done with the ceremony and then asking me to go meet her and my cousins at this shop called new rezki and at first i was kinda lost and then well, my mom has this habit of like screeching her voice into the phone so it sounds like she’s shouting and/or raising her voice intensely like as though she’s mad and pissed at you but really, she’s not. i guess it’s a bad habit she picked up after countless “huh hello” whenever she called someone. but yeah, so i got a little bit upset cus the feeling’s not good when someone is raising their voice at you and i was wearing my earpiece for goodness sake so i kinda raised my voice a little too and then like i said, i was lost so she tried to direct me but LOL i ended up just googling and apparently it’s just right across the interchange, roughly about 4 mins walk as stated on map.

after seeing me, we all started ordering the food we wanted. akmal got fried noodles, rayhan had to watch what he eat cus he’s in NS and he’ll be punished if he gains weight instead of losing so he got a bowl of beef salad. my mom got bee hoon kuah and i got their mutton chop. it was ok but very oily for my taste so i don’t think i’ll ever buy that again unless i’m craving for it and if i’m nearby. it’s a dollar cheaper than the ones selling at thohirah though. oh and the shop is 24/7 too! i guess most, if not all, mamak eateries are 24/7. after we had our lunch, my mom bought some lauk back for my dad and for dinner and then we all headed back to the interchange. from there we split ways with my cousins cus they were taking the bus at the entrance of the mall, whereas we were taking the one at the interchange.

the moment i reached home, i quickly took a shower again and shampooed my hair cus i perspired earlier on and as i was changing i heard knocking on my window. i was so shook wtf cus i wasn’t expecting anyone but turns out it was farhan. like seriously what the heck.... LOL i was happy la but i was also very shock cus i thought he was gonna take the train but he actually took a grab all the way to my place instead. damn bobo la hahahaha and i wasn’t even fully ready yet even. so i rushed and did my usual face makeup and then let him in so he didn’t have to wait so long for me outside and then i did my usual going out routine. drying my hair, straightening a little, picking outfits and putting them together in my head. for some reason i was super duper indecisive about my outfit today. like idk why i couldn’t just grab and go like i usually do. and i also always will look through look books or style accounts and then visualize it in my head and i’m set but idk why the hell was i so damn frikin indecisive and fickle minded about my outfit today i kept changing and changing and then wearing different pieces together and shit and lol i finally ended up wearing the first outfit i tried which was just a black dress with a denim jacket. the sad thing is, the dress was kinda short and when i walk it gets even shorter so every now and then i had to pull it down but it’s really a cute dress though i think it’ll be nicer on someone shorter haha.

we walked to the bus stop and then went to tampines cus i had to get the brooch that my mom wants at isetan and while on the way there we were thinking of what to eat and looking through links that i’ve saved on facebook on different places we can go and eat at but most of them were either too far or too expensive and we don’t have that kind of money to throw on food yet, especially not when we still have 2 more weeks left till end of the month. after awhile, we decided to stop at tamp hub and eat at the thai shop, the one where we ate before. but lol the queue was so long and it seems like a long wait + majority of the tables were filled so we settled for tenderfresh. i felt like having fish so i got their grilled fish with aglio olio and farhan got the chicken chop one. i like their aglio olio!! it has this mild spice taste and farhan says that it’s kinda like mee goreng. overall, it was nice. their buffalo wings could be a little bit spicy though but it was still good! 😋

after our late lunch early dinner, we went to isetan to see the brooches but sadly there wasn’t anymore sale price and it was going at $19 per pin so i called my mom and ask if she still wants it and she said no cus it’s too expensive and if it was $9 like before it’ll still be ok. so we ended up not getting anything there. though now thinking about i felt like i should have just splurge my money to get her one brooch at least since she has been wanting it when she first noticed it last saturday.

afterwards, i casually mentioned genki before to farhan and he thought i was joking but lol we ended up taking the train and going to genki cus i said that i wanna satisfy my cravings. we went to the bugis outlet and surprisingly the queue was moving really fast. i got the ones i wanted and we spent less than 20 bucks there which was really unexpected but also good i guess. i’m so thankful that farhan was ok with splitting the bill even though he didn’t even eat a lot. then after that we walked from bugis to dhoby as usual and i wanted to walk even further down towards plaza sing bus stop but we saw another 65 coming so we decided to walk back towards the sota bus stop and take it there instead hehe.

i really enjoyed my day today with him. it has been a wonderful day and i hope that we will have more good happy days like these. i like how we shared our music interest while on the bus ride home, and then i was so in awe when i heard him rapping!!! he really look so cool at that moment hahaha like im not kidding. maybe i’m the only one who sees him and think that he’s cool la but hahaha wtvr 😂 i also like how we joked a lot and just sorta teased each other lol or maybe that was me bc i kacau him on the train ride towards bugis hahaha and his reactions are all so cute wth i just wanna squish him 🥰😍 and then i get to lay in his arms!!!! that’s always my fav part at the end of the day tbh. just being in his embrace hais.... oh and he went home really late (or should i say early lol) around 7am cus we had a hard time booking a grab!!! but also bc we were busy playing ml hahaah we were on a roll but had to stop since he hasn’t been home for the whole day and me too but like my house is just here ya know whereas he lives all the way at the other side hahaha so yeah i gotta get him back home and to sleep also since we didn’t get much sleep that night. one day i wanna try sneaking him into the house and letting him just sleep in my brother’s room or something after my dad’s asleep. but idk if i have the guts haha or maybe should do like that time when he stayed in my brother’s room till really late and we played games together and watched movies on netflix. that was fun too 😁