Daddy Issues- Joseph Quinn

Rose coloured glasses.

It was the next day and both Mabel and Joseph had decided to head down to breakfast at the hotel. When they got into the restaurant Mabel mentally groaned when she saw Kristen and Josh at a table looking at them with a grin on each of their faces. Josh waved the couple over, Mabel knowing there was no way they could avoid them, made her way over bracing herself for the conversation to come. Joe placed his hand on the small of her back as they headed to sit down and pulled her chair out for her when they reached the table. Kristen looked at Josh and then wiggled her eyebrows go tease Mabel who simply rolled her eyes and sat down.

"Good morning" Joe politely said sitting down.

"Clearly" Josh replied nodding his head towards a hickey on Mabel's neck. Mabel gasped grabbing her neck. This caused Josh and Kristen to laugh as Mabel's face burned red.

"Well I guess that's that one out" Joe laughed awkwardly.

"Oh love, your room is right next to ours, it was our last night"Kristen replied sipping her tea.

Joe and Mabel looked at each other shocked unsure of what to say.

"Look, we're happy for you" Kristen smiled to the pair. "We totally weren't deliberate trying to get you back together all night or anything" she said sipping more tea.

"Who said we're back together?" Mabel snapped her head up to Kristen.

"The look on his face last night" Kristen nodded towards Joe. Joe was sat there blushing at the fact it was so ridiculously obvious he was still completely in love with Mabel.

Mabel rolled her eyes at Joe and called the waiter over to order breakfast. After Joe and Mabel order Kristen and Josh excuse themselves from the table to head back to the hotel room to pack for the honeymoon. The couple wave goodbye and sit in a comfortable silence, Joe moving to sit across from her.

Mabel decided to be the one to break the ice.

"So about that" She began. "I didn't exactly want to do this in a restaurant but, I'd be very interested in trying this again" she smiled to him. Joes heartbeat quickened at her words and he quickly kissed her cheek.

"Thank you Mabel, I promise I won't try tell you how to feel" he mumbled taking her hand and rubbing circles on it with his thumb. Mabel sighed in relief at the contact, she ached for his touch all the time. The past 2 months all Mabel wanted was Joe to comfort her and tell everything would be fine.

"Are you okay?" Joe asked Mabel, he noticed she was a bit lost in her thoughts.

"I'm okay Joe, just thinking about the last few months" she sighed squeezing his hand.

Joe hated that he wasn't there for Mabel, he hated she thought he'd pity her if he knew.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there Mabel, I promised I'd always be there and I wasn't" he mumbled, his voice low and weak.

"Joe look at me" Mabel snapped, Joe diverged his eyes to hers and saw her face stern.

"I didn't let you be there for me, there's a difference. That's on me and not you, please know that" she softened her voice. Joe sighed and squeezed her hand. He admired her green eyes sparkling due to the light beaming in the windows. The couples hands were broken apart by the waiter placing their food in front of them. They thanked the waiter and began to eat. Mabel forking mouthfuls of pancakes into her mouth like her life depended on it.

"You alright there love?" Joe laughed watching her stuff her face.

"I'm absolutely starving since being in recovery, I think it was being unable to eat that did it" she explained. Joe sighed again knowing he missed it all, he didn't even know what recovery entailed. Mabel noticed his face fall and tried to come up with an idea that would help.