the road home // josh kiszka

rain on the roof

chapter song: rain on the roof-the lovin' spoonful

A/N: there won't be a chapter update next week, and there are only a few more chapters of this story left! thank you to everyone who has been reading, i've loved writing this story for you! x

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january 2019

-JOSH'S POV-

Before we knew it, our reunion was over and Y/N and I were parting ways yet again. It was getting harder and harder to leave her every single time, but I was confident about us this time. This time we were going to make it work, I was sure of it. This tour was going to be long, but we were finally living out our dream. As we packed our things to the car, I noticed the smile plastered on Jake's face. He had known all this time that we were going to make it, he hadn't given up hope on us for one second. I wish I could've said the same about myself, but we were here now and that was all that mattered. I heard a car pulling up in the driveway and a smile spread across my face like a wildfire. 

"Y/N!" Sam and Danny cheered, as they trudged toward the car with bags in hand. 

"Hi Sam, hey Danny! I don't want to run over your feet." she laughed, rolling her window down. 

"We're out of the way, we promise!" Danny laughed, placing his bags down on the pile we had going on the driveway.

I feel arms wrap around my waist, and I spin around. 

"Hi love." She smiles. 

"Hi princess."  I say, placing a kiss on her head. 

"Is there anything I can help with?" 

"No, I think we've just about got everything ready to load into the car. The label is taking care of everything else once we get to the airport." 

"Wow, look you, 'the label'." She jokes.

"I know, I have imposter syndrome still." I laugh. 

"Don't worry, you boys deserve this. You've worked so hard for this. You're going to crush it. Just don't forget me when you become big stars." 

"How could I ever forget you?" I ask, tilting her chin up to face me. 

I kiss her softly, with a desperation I didn't know I still had. 

"Get a room!" Jake shouts, coming out of the house with Sam and Danny, carrying the last of the things we needed.

Y/N breaks away from the kiss, laughing and I frown. 

"You boys have everything? IDs, tickets, passports?" She asked.

"Fuck, my passport!" Sam shouts, running straight back into the house, leaving the bag he had been carrying in the driveway.

"You're a lifesaver," Jake says to her "we've been running around the past few days trying to get everything in order and have become scatterbrained."

"I get that, I have trouble packing for a week long trip. I can't imagine how difficult it is to pack for months at a time." 

"Yeah, this is the first time we've really had to pack for that long, and we have it ingrained in us to travel light, so this is counterintuitive." He replies. 

"Fair enough, when is your flight?" She asked. 

"Its at 2:45 pm, so we have quite a bit of time still. We just wanted to pack up the car and try and spend some time with the families before heading out." 

I checked my watch, we had so much time still. It was just now 9:15 am. The trip to the airport would be long though, since we were flying out of Detroit. Y/N had graciously offered last night to drive us to the airport, since she was heading back to school anyway. 

"I'm sure they appreciate that. Do you guys need coffee? I can do a coffee run for everyone. I feel useless not being much of a help." 

"Not much of a help? You're taking us to the airport with all our shit, that is so helpful." Jake replied. 

"I can do a coffee run! Coffee does sound pretty good right now." I offered. 

"Well if you're going, then I will take some." Jake said, sassily. 

Danny put in his coffee order and so did Sam when he came back out after finally finding his passport. 

"I'll come with you." Y/N said, interlacing her fingers with mine. 

"Okay, but I'm driving since you'll be doing a lot of the driving today." I said. 

"Deal." She smiled. 

We hopped into my car, and instantly started fiddling with the radio. We needed our last moments together to be perfect, and that included a perfect soundtrack. We were silent for the ride, just enjoying each other's company, our hands never parting. I thought it fitting to visit The Harvest Coffeehouse one more time before we left for tour. It was our spot and I wanted to enjoy it with her in this moment. I wasn't sure what the future held for us, or where we'd be after the tour, but I really hoped that we could come back here after and feel just the same way we were right now. 

"Y/N, I'm going to miss the hell out of you." 

"I'm going to miss you too, Josh. I know you're going to be amazing." 

"I know, but its just going to be hard without you." 

"Well then I guess I should show you this." She said. 

She pulls out her phone and hands it to me. 

I wasn't sure if I was going to cry, I was incredibly happy. 

"You're coming to see us?"

"How could I miss it? Plus the Wisconsin show happens to be a week after the semester ends, so I'll be able to be there, stress free." She smiles. 

"God, I love you." I blurt out. 

My eyes shot up to look at her, realizing what I had just said. 

She smiled at me, reassuringly. 

"I love you too, now let's hurry back." She said.