satellite heart ━━━ joe keery. ✓

030 - real life

The couple sat across from each other in a Chinese restaurant that was built in the food court of their airport. The two picked around their food with their chopsticks, anxious for their flight. Flying over-seas had always frightened Harley. She couldn't comprehend why Joe was so used to it. 

"So... you were with Em earlier?" Joe glanced up to her from his plastic plate. 

Harley glued her eyes to her own plate, her chopsticks nervously wandering around it. "Mhm." She took a gulp of air, uneasy with the situation. 

"Did she say something to you...? You've been quiet all afternoon, Harls. I want to hear your annoyingly beautiful voice." He smiled up to her, reaching over the table and grasping her hand. He placed it on the center of the table before laying his own over it, his thumb grazing her skin. 

"I don't wanna talk about it. This trip is supposed to keep things off our minds." She turned her hand over to intertwine it with his, lifting it from the table and giving it a gentle shake. "I just want to think about you this weekend, Joe. Not work, not home, just you. But, one thing I will exclude is how amazing this Chinese is?! Like, c'mon. For airport food, it's not bad."

"I'll say it a million times more, Harls. I really do love you. But, this stuff is god awful. I'm sorry." The two broke out into laughter, disturbing the few people eating in the small restaurant. Joe lovingly shushed Harley, though it only made the outburst worse. 

"Gate B17 will be boarding shortly. Please, standby." The airport intercom announced, leaving the couple to hurriedly rush out of their seats. Hand in hand, they raced through the wide airport hallways to reach their gate. 

"Sorry!" Harley had accidentally ran into someone's suitcase.

"You okay?" Joe exclaimed, looking over his shoulder. 

"Yep, yep! All good!" 

The pair finally reached their gate when their plane started boarding. They turned to each other and grinned through heavy breaths. 

The two made their way onto the plane and into their seats. Harley unzipped her carry-on to reveal a hat. "Look what I brought..." She firmly placed the hat onto her head. 

"Is that my hat?" 

She nodded her head. "Turns out there's this adjustable band in the back, so it kind of does fit m-"

Joe leaned in to quickly kiss her, but his forehead ran into the brim of his hat. "Oops..."

"Bonus points, it also counts as kiss protection!" 

He took the hat from her head and passionately kissed her, sneakily putting it onto his own head before separating. 

"That wasn't fair. Re-match."

"Oh, so all you want is another kiss?"

"No! I mean, yeah, but no! I was really looking forward to wearing that hat..." She pouted, turning away from him. 

"Alright, you win." He placed the hat back on her snugly, leaving a wide grin upon her face. 

"We are now preparing for take-off. Please, securely buckle your seatbelts, leave your windows open, and relax." The pilot announced, causing Harley to fret. Joe held her hand tightly throughout take-off with the knowledge that she got anxious on flights. 

The two shared a pair of earbuds and watched a cringey rom-com for the entirety of their flight. 

*

"I've never had to give you this talk before, Harley, but I want you guys to stay safe-"

"Dad, I'm twenty-five, not sixteen. And I definitely don't want to have this conversation right now." Harley spoke up from the backseat of her Dad's car, Joe beside her.

"Well, you know what they. Paris, the city of love."

"Ew, Dad. Just put on the radio or something." Harley mouthed a 'sorry' to Joe.

"You know, your mother and I, we actually made you her-"

"Dad! Too much, way too much."

*

"Thanks for the ride, Dad. And the insufferable conversation." Harley sarcastically smiled and closed the car door. 

"See you kids around!" And with that, he drove off. 

The two stood in front of a quaint chateau that stood only two stories high. 

"Graduation gift." Harley answered Joe's thought. "C'mon."

She tugged on his hand and led him through the front door, the house in the same state she had left it in years ago. 

"Cozy." Joe uttered, scanning the entrance of the home.

"Wait until you see the bedroom, it's insane." Harley led him up the wooden stairs and into the bedroom, a smile tugging at her lips. 

"Tada!" Joe was too distracted by Harley's beauty to notice the bedroom's. He gazed deeply into her eyes, noticing things he hadn't before. Like how they turned a shade of sage when the light hit them in the right spot. Or how her brows just slightly lifted when she was uncertain of something. He took a leap and held her head with his hands, planting his lips onto hers intimately. Their bodies carried their own weight onto the bed that sat in the center of the room, the duvet cover wrinkling beneath them. 

Joe hovered over her, his hands stood stiffly behind her head, their lips never unlinking. He halted mid-kiss. 

"Do you...?" He questioned, his eyes roaming hers. 

She slowly nodded, "Mhm..." 

Joe dove onto her lips once more before separating them. He slipped off his shirt, his chest-hair unveiled. Harley took in the sight of his upper body, wondering how he could be so strikingly charming. 

It was now late at night, the stars the only visible things you could see and a French tune played by a local in the park neighboring the chateau the only audible thing you could hear from the window that outlooked the room. 

Harley ran a finger down the middle of Joe's chest, feeling his rough skin. He leaned down towards her to plant a kiss on her forehead that trailed from the top of her head, to her cheekbone, and finally her jaw. His kiss fluttered her skin, leaving a warm spot where he had touched her. 

Harley slowly closed her eyes as he moved down to her neck and collarbone, gently tugging at the neckline of her shirt with his hand. She consented, raising her shirt above her head, leaving her in only her bra and jeans. "Kiss me, Joe."

He followed, connecting his lips with hers and simultaneously unbuttoning her jeans. Once off, he absorbed the sight of her frame. "God, you're beautiful, Harls..." 

He continued, traveling down her upper body, leaving small kisses along the way. The night seemed to last a lifetime. It relieved both the stress of Harley's work and her uncertainty of Joe. Though, the glee didn't last as long as she had hoped...