Give and Take - Joe Burrow AU

Chapter 6

***trigger warning

mentions of m/f domestic abuse, emotional abuse.

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Joe tossed and turned all night wondering how to approach you the next day. He felt some sort of responsibility to cheer you up to ensure you knew he was genuine.

Joe could barely count on one hand how many days he had known you, and yet, he was captivated. He feared wasting the time he had here at your house, sleeping next door, seeing you every day by pussyfooting around the obvious - he was attracted.

Joe reaches under the pillow behind his head to grab his phone. Opening Instagram, he sees that you had just shared something to your story. A simple screenshot of a quote reading,

"I wonder what I look like in your eyes."

Hovering his thumb over the heart reaction button on his phone, he quickly hit it, locking his phone. Leaving him in the darkness with his heart racing, he felt like a middle-schooler.

He knew that instantly you were notified of his interaction with your story, but how would you take it?

Little did he know, you were pleasantly surprised as a DM appeared in your inbox. You wondered, too, why Joe was still awake, clutching your phone to your chest. You didn't even realize that he followed you, let alone curious enough to look at your posts.

Joe decides to grab a glass of water before he choked on his own saliva with anxiety.

Not bothering to put on a shirt, he merely slips on a pair of shorts before heading towards the kitchen.

The house is eerily quiet in comparison to the usual loud banter amongst friends. At this point in time, he wished Ja'Marr was awake so he had someone to talk to. But deep down, he knew he wouldn't be taken seriously, nor did he want to stir up anything before he even knew what he wanted out of this budding relationship with Anna.

He didn't realize he was caught in his own thoughts again until water spilled over the edge of the glass he was filling, splattering all over the floor and his feet.

"Shit." he curses at himself, placing the glass quietly on the counter before grabbing some paper towels to clean up.

With his back turned, bent over, sopping up the water, he didn't even hear you enter the room.

"Hey."

Joe jumps slightly, whipping his head around to see you standing in the kitchen in an oversized t-shirt and socks.

Quickly standing up and throwing the paper towels in the trash, Joe is lost for words.

"Y-You scared me. I didn't think anyone else was awake." he says sheepishly.

"Same idea as me." you say, gesturing to the overly filled glass of water on the counter.

Silence fills the room for a moment while you fill up your own cup of water. Joe leans his back against the kitchen island, looking you up and down while your back is facing him.

He noted how sexy your legs were. He thought about what it would be like to grab you under the thighs and take you on this counter right now, smothering your moans with his hand cupped over your mouth.

With the head of his cock twitching, he internally criticized himself for objectifying you, but he couldn't help it. The last thing he wanted was to have a conversation with you with a noticeable hard-on.

Friends first. He reminded himself.

You sip on your glass of water, leaning against the counter opposite of Joe. Noticing his discomfort you ask,