The Web I Spin for You ~ Richpez & Rosenwalker

Chapter 3

"I see the way you go and say you're right again, say you're right again, heed my lecture—"

Joe's music blasted throughout his bedroom as he muscled his way through his fourth set of pull-ups. Sweat was beading down his face, neck, and chest; he'd abandoned his shirt a few sets ago, hanging from his pull-up bar in nothing but his black workout shorts and socks.

He dropped down to the floor smoothly as he finished his final set of pull-ups, a deep burn running through his arms. He exhaled deeply, reaching down for his water bottle and sipping from it. As he ran a hand through his sweaty hair, he couldn't help but wonder what time it was, and how long he'd been working out. After he'd dropped Brian off at his home to get ready for his piano lesson around four, he'd driven straight home. Ever since, he hadn't stopped working out, content on blocking out the world. His entire body was beginning to ache, and part of him was thinking that he should probably start cooling off.

He dropped down to his knees, before propping himself up on to his hands and feet to do push-ups. He closed his eyes as his arms ached in protest, breathing through the pain. The longer he worked out, the longer he could keep his mind distracted. "Seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve—"

"I JUST CAN'T LOOK, IT'S KILLING ME, AND TAKING CONTROL—"

Joe groaned, finishing his set and collapsing onto the floor. He rolled over to his back, debating if he should see who it was or let it go to voicemail. He knew that it most likely wasn't Brian, so really, was there a point in getting it?

He forced himself up so that he was sitting with his legs crisscrossed on the floor, eyeing his phone as it rang away on his desk, Mr. Brightside filling the room. He raised an eyebrow at it as it rang, debating his next move. He didn't exactly have a pleasant history with this phone when it came to answering unexpected calls. He closed his eyes, allowing it to continuing ringing. Finally, it went to voicemail, and a moment later Darren Criss's voice rang through the room.

"Walker, pick up pick up, I know you're not busy right now baby boy, pay attention to me—"

"What do you want Criss?" Joe asked, having jumped up to answer Darren. A swift sense of relief was spreading through his body as he reached down for his water bottle.

"Finally, I've been texting you for like the last hour and a half man," Darren lectured. "Everyone's over, we're going to watch Starship Troopers. Hurry up, we're waiting on you."

Joe felt his face heat up. "You guys don't need to do that, it's okay. I'll catch it next time."

"Whoa, you can't miss Starship Troopers!" Darren yelled at him.

"He's not coming for Starship Troopers?!" Holden screamed over the line, loud enough so that Joe could hear him.

"Darren, we watch Starship Troopers every week."

"And you never miss it. This movie is our lovechild Joe."

Joe laughed, rolling his eyes. "Please never refer to anything as 'our lovechild,' ever again."

"Starship Troopers is our baby. If you and I were to come together and make sweet sweet love, the ending result would be Starship Troopers."

"No, it would be a musical of the movie, get it right." Joe mocked, rubbing his chest down with a towel. "Fine, I'll be over in twenty minutes, but I'm going to be sweaty."

"I wouldn't want you any other way."

xXx

"Okay, but, hear me out, if this movie was in fact a musical—"

"Darren, just let it go." Dylan cut across with a laugh.

Darren, Dylan, Nick, Matt, Holden, Jim, and Joe were all crammed on Darren's living room couch, everyone refusing to sit on the floor. While the rest of the boys were all arguing and laughing, Joe hadn't looked up once in the past hour, his nose inches away from his cell phone. As much as Starship Troopers was his favorite movie, he was way too preoccupied at the moment.

Joe was abruptly snapped out of his trance with his phone when a head nudged into his side. "Why aren't you engaging with the world mate?"

"Why are you speaking in a thick Irish accent?" Joe asked Holden. "You loaded up on Perky's Buds?"

"I may be," Holden said innocently, "but regardless, this isn't as fun without you."

"What are you talking about, you psycho? I'm sitting right here." Joe insisted, a slight smile spread across of his face as he glanced back down towards his phone.

"Physically yes, but mentally, are you here?" Holden asked, once again nudging him with his head. "You're so enticed with your phone, I think your brain is off messing around with Rosenthal right now."

Joe playfully punched his shoulder. "The location of my mind is none of your business."

"Excuse you, of course it is. I know that I live in there rent free." Holden teased, winking at him. "I'm just saying, take some space my guy. It's good in a relationship to have some time for yourself. And Starship Troopers with the homies is a great use of that time." Holden started to nuzzle into Joe's neck, but Joe scuffled away from him.

"Stop, personal space!" He yelled, rolling off of the couch. "You fucking weirdo." He laughed, looking down at his friend. Maybe Holden was right, and he should just turn his phone off.

He slipped it into his pocket and sat down on the floor, accepting defeat as he focused his attention to the movie. "Okay, but tell me these guys couldn't totally break out into an elaborate tap dancing number right here?" Joe finally chimed in, causing all of his friends to laugh. As he smiled to himself, his phone began buzzing inside of his pocket. He bit his lip, ignoring it as he focused his attention on the movie. Five minutes passed, before it began buzzing again. And again. And again. He sighed, closing his eyes and trying to will himself to ignore it, before caving in and pulling his phone out of his pocket.

"Hey guys, I—I gotta go." Joe said tentatively as he examined the screen, rising up to his feet.

"What?" Dylan asked.

"Why?" Matt whined.

"Do you not love us anymore?" Nick teased.

"Don't leave me baby!" Holden yelled, flailing and squirming around on the crowded coach until he fell over the side, bringing Matt down with him.

Everyone else erupted into laughter as Matt started cussing Holden out, but for some reason Joe just wasn't finding any of it amusing. He walked over, nudging Holden with his foot. "Lay off the Perky's Buds my guy."

"Don't tell me what to do!"

"Yeah, don't tell him what to do!" Darren yelled, standing up to walk Joe out. "You sure you can't stay man?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry," Joe responded simply, staring down at his backpack as he picked it up off of the ground. "My mom needs me to help her out with some stuff around the house."

"Ah, well, make sure you explain to your mother the sacredness of Starship Troopers time," Darren told him earnestly as he walked out the door. "She should understand, she loves me."

Joe rolled his eyes. "That she does," he mocked, walking out without looking back. He exhaled slowly as he sat down in his car, running his hands through his hair several times in a nervous habit. He eventually placed his hands on the steering wheel, running his thumb up and down in an attempt to ground himself. "Fuck, what am I doing?" He whispered into the empty car as he turned it on and backed his car out. He sped down the street, unsure of how long this was going to take. The sooner he got it over with, the better.

He parked along the side of the street, deciding that it was safer if he didn't pull all the way into the driveway. He closed his eyes, resting his forehead on the wheel and taking deep breaths. He wrapped his arms around himself, holding his torso in a hug. He just had to get through this. He owed her that much.

He forced himself out of his car, leaving it unlocked in case he needed to jump back in. A shiver ran up his spine as he took in that she was sitting down on a bench on her porch, her back to him. He couldn't see it, but the corner of Zoey's lips turned up into a smile as she heard his footsteps approach her porch.

The barista looked up from her phone, wiping her smile off of her face as she turned around to face her ex boyfriend. "I knew you'd come."

Welcome back ;)