Sweet Emotion

Chapter 22

**Tw: Domestic abuse mentions**

Soft snoring filled the small room as Steven lay motionless under the mint green cover, his head resting on Joe's chest. His arms were wrapped tightly around the younger's torso, breathing levelled out as he breathed in the comforting smell of cigarettes, feeling safe.

Joe chuckled and held Steven close, his calloused hands resting on the other man's lower back. The poor guy was exhausted and had fallen asleep whilst they were talking.

He gently kissed the top of Steven's head, blushing when a giggle erupted from the other's lips, which was abruptly followed by a massive grin.

God, Steven was so cute.

Joe smiled as he continued to cradle the singer. This was his future. This is what his future could be.

~

Joe beamed as he thought about the interaction he'd had with his best friend earlier. It's true that it wasn't very eventful, but he loved the feeling of having Steven in his arms and occasionally kissing his head whilst he slept. It made him feel warm and fuzzy inside. The image of them being together was still fresh in his mind (mostly because he'd been thinking about it all day.) God, he wanted nothing more than to-

"What's this?!"

His thoughts stalled and he looked up from strumming his Les Paul guitar, finding himself gazing into the fierce eyes of Joey Kramer. Joe felt his heart rate accelerate as the red-faced drummer loomed over him. Joey rarely got angry. The last time he'd seen him so furious was when Steven fell head first into his drum kit whilst showing off some fancy tricks he planned to do on stage, so he knew something was seriously wrong.

"What's what?"

"You haven't seen it?"

"Seen what?" Joe asked, massaging the neck of his guitar with his thumb, completely bewildered.

What on earth was he talking about?

Joey glanced up at the ceiling and sighed in frustration, before he threw down the newspaper he was holding onto Joe's lap. "It's in every paper. I knew she was horrible, but this is disgusting." He folded his arms and watched anxiously as his bandmate began reading.

Joe's fists shook as he read the headline, his brows furrowing and his eyes darting from left to right. "Aerosmith guitarist, Joe Perry, accused of abusing girlfriend Elyssa Jerret," he read aloud, his voice beginning to quiver.

His heart hammered. Their relationship had been turbulent at best, but in all three years he'd been with Elyssa, he had never once laid a hand on her, except out of self defence. He'd only ever pushed her away from him during an altercation and grabbed her wrists to stop her from hitting him. Admittedly, he felt bad about possibly hurting her, but he couldn't just be a sitting duck, right?

Joe kept reading the article, his face growing increasingly red. "FUCK YOU!" he suddenly shouted, bitterly throwing down the paper. "I never choked her or beat her!! Joey, you gotta believe me!"

Angry tears filled his eyes. He couldn't believe Elyssa would stoop so low to lie about him in the papers just because he'd left her back in another state for work. No, actually, he could believe it. She'd threatened him to make heinous accusations against him before, but he didn't think she actually would go through with it. He thought she was bluffing. Boy was he so wrong.

"Of course I believe you, Joe!"

Joey ducked as Joe grabbed his guitar and violently hurled it across the room, unable to control his rage and unhappiness. What fucking lies she had told! He'd always tried to see the best in her and make her happy even though their relationship had been heartily disapproved of.