flashbacks in a film reel || tayjoe

oceans seperating us

Taylor sighs as she submerges herself in the spacious bathtub, leaning her head back to rest on the tile of the wall. Her eyes are trained on the candle that sits precariously across the tub. She should probably extinguish it before she accidentally knocks it over and sets the house alight, but the alluring beachy-rose scent stopped her.

Ideally Joe would be behind her in the tub giving her a neck massage, but instead he resides in her phone screen, 3000 miles away.

"You know what I'm thankful for today?" Joe's voice filters through the phone.

"What?" She asks, lowering herself deeper in the warm comfort of the bathtub. Joe would typically tease her about being a 'spawn of satan' with the extreme heats she could withstand. Taylor argued that it was simply a product of having to dance and sing through 100 degree weather at concerts.

"The fact that water is transparent." Taylor didn't need to look up to know he was smirking.

"Pervert," She mumbles. Stretching up to reach the bathroom counter she pulls down a bottle labeled 'bubble bath'. On it was also an illustration of Spongebob's smiling face.

"You are aware of the fact that you're a multi-millionaire, right? You can afford more than a twelve dollar bottle of children's bubble bath."

"Okay mister 'I only ever wear a white t-shirt and yankees cap'," Taylor says defensively. As an afterthought she adds, "This one makes the best bubbles anyway." Joe shook his head, quietly chuckling to himself.

"You know, Mum and Dad went out to get a Christmas tree today."

"No Patrick?"

"He's deep into his 'cool teenager era' and refused to come."

"God I remember when he was just 13 and now he's... in highschool? That's wild." Taylor lost herself in her thoughts, reminiscing on the first time they had met. Patrick had tried to teach her how to play Minecraft as Joe sat back and laughed as she died seven times in the span of five minutes. As soon as they made it back out to the car Taylor had anxiously asked if he thought his family liked her to which Joe responded, 'of course'.

"I remember how nervous you were to meet him, it was adorable." He relaxes back on the bed as he speaks, propping the phone up on the pillow so he can see her.

"It was stressful as fuck," She grumbles, subconsciously splashing the water around her. "I genuinely thought they were gonna hate me."

"I know honey," Joe smiles softly. "But I, as always, was right and they loved you."

"I love it when you say that."

He raises a confused eyebrow, "But I, as always, was right?"

"No, dumbass," She said, utilizing it as a term of endearment. Taylor would've hit him playfully if he was there next to her. "Honey. It makes me feel like we're an old married couple who are about to head off to afternoon tea."

Joe grins, "We're not far off from that."

Taylor's heart fluttered at the mention. He had been doing this so often lately, casually mentioning marriage as if they were already engaged. Everyone was telling her it was just a matter of time before he popped the question. She couldn't wait. She had spent her whole life running. From sadness, from beauty, from tragedy, but now she was ready. She was ready to stay. With him.

As they reached a comfortable silence, Taylor gathered the bubbles around her, concealing most of her body. Joe watched as she did so, completely entranced by each and every move she made.

He had a tendency to notice the smallest things about her. The way she adjusted her bracelet whenever she was nervous, the way she corrected her posture whenever she felt particularly self-conscious, the twinkle in the very right corner of her eye, the curve in her smile, the freckle on her chest.