fingers crossed

thinkin' bout you

*You know the drill get that frank ocean song on*

JOE'S POV

My chest feels a little tight once she's gone, my eyes seem to keep falling on the little imprint she left in my bed. Every time she gets up to go home part of me wants to beg her to stay which has never really been a feeling I've experienced before- I've always been a pretty independent guy. I feel like that version of me is so distant and foreign, part of me longs for being able to exist without longing for her to be by my side but at the same time part of me is addicted to how alive these feelings make me.

I'm a bit overwhelmed and confused by these thoughts so I've been trying to push them to the back of my head so we can focus on strictly but every time I'm near her I feel more desperate and every time I'm away from her I feel weirdly lost. How did I even used to spend these empty hours? Time feels suspended and empty. I groan and roll over to check my phone to see the time when my heart skips as I see a message from her:

hey! sorry I know it's late but is there any chance I could pop back over?

I sit bolt upright. She sent this hours ago how did I miss this? She's probably asleep by now which makes me feel like those sunken balloons from my birthday. Regardless I quickly type a response:

completely missed this my bad! you still up?

***

DIANNE'S POV

Before I know it I'm in the cab Joe sent over, I still haven't really collected my thoughts but it feels right to chase this feeling. It wasn't until I was lying in bed that the his words from earlier finally became clear in my head:

I wish you would stay here, next to me 

That HAS to mean something right? Am I misjudging this or does or maybe share some of these feelings that have been bubbling up for me? I've been pushing the idea of us being anything more than physical because I tend to defend myself from future pain, but maybe there could be a future for us? He has always been so hard to read, such a gentleman to everyone and sweet but doesn't really seem to treat me much differently to anyone else, I mean it's hard to tell when he's my dance partner as we kind of have  to act couple-y but Joe does go the extra mile, lending me his clothes, complementing me and bringing me coffee in the morning. 

My heart starts pounding as I approach his building- what if I have completely overthought this? My head is swarming with these thoughts until the car pulls around the corner and I see him standing outside waiting for me.