Johnny Knoxville is the love of my life; that's something I thought I knew for sure. We met when he was on the press tour for Rosy and it took no time at all for a relationship to bloom.
We had acknowledged that there was quite a significant age gap between the two of us but neither of us had let it affect the relationship.
For the most part the press had also left the age gap alone, however, since lockdown and Johnny stopped dying his hair, letting his grey hair take centre stage, it's been picked up on a lot more.
Me and Johnny were sitting on the sofa one afternoon, enjoying a rare day where we had no plans so planned to spend the day together and just do nothing.
I was looking through my phone while Johnny sat next to me, hand on my leg as he laughed at the old cartoons he was watching, jotting down any ideas he thought would make good stunts.
'Have you seen this?' I said, handing my phone over to Johnny so he could read the same article I had just read. 'They're saying that I'm only with you for your money and fame. It's ridiculous!'
'Well maybe they're right, maybe you're just taking advantage of a poor old man,' Johnny teased, squeezing my leg as he read the article. Even though I knew that he was joking, I couldn't help but get a little upset at his words.
'Seriously?!' I moved his hand off of my leg which made him look over at me.
'Sweetheart, you know I was joking.'
'Well it's not funny.' I stood up from the sofa and started pacing around the room,
Johnny's eyes following me. 'It's alright for you because you're the victim in all this and in their eyes you can't do anything wrong.'
'Woah don't turn this onto me,' Johnny said, setting my phone on the sofa next to him before standing up and walking over to me.
'We both know that it's bullshit so why are you getting so worked up about it?'
'Because what if the articles are right!'
Johnny looked at me in confusion, 'what you really are only with me for money?'
'No! Of course I'm not, I love you! But what if they're right in the fact that the age gap is too much?'
'This has never bothered you before, why now?'
'It's never been as big an issue as it is now, it never used to be an issue full stop! But now it's making me think that-'
'What? It's making you think what?'
'That maybe we made a mistake!'
My words cut us both off and if I could take them back I would without hesitation after seeing the look on Johnny's face.
He looked like a kicked puppy and I wanted nothing more than to run over and wrap my arms around him but I knew that it was the wrong time; especially after something like that had come out of my mouth.
'You think this is a mistake?' he asked quietly, not meeting my eyes.
'No. I didn't mean that, I don't know what I mean. Maybe we just need to break up for a while and figure out what we want.'
Johnny's head snapped up to look at me as he crossed the space between us in two large strides. As soon as he was in front of me, his hands came up to hold my face and tilt my head up to look at him.
A tear streaked down my cheek as I saw that his eyes were watery as well. 'You don't want to break up,' he whispered brokenly, 'please, (Y/N), you don't want to break up.'
'Johnny,' I said softly, lifting my hands to rest on his wrists.
'No, I'm not finished,' he said before I could continue. '(Y/N), baby, you are the best thing that's ever happened to me.
Who the fuck cares what they think? The only thing that matters is that I love you and you love me, yeah?'
'I love you so much,' I said, leaning into him and letting him support my weight slightly as tears streamed down my cheeks.
'I know sweetheart,' he said softly, kissing the top of my head.
'I just hate how people think that I'd be with you for any other reason.'
'I know, it's alright, as long as we know, it doesn't matter what anyone thinks.' Johnny spoke calmly, his hand running up and down my back soothing me. He slowly started rocking us side to side to the music that was still coming from the TV and I slowly came back to myself, horrified at the fact I had suggested we break up.
'I'm sorry I said we should break up, I didn't mean it.'
'You were upset, it happens. As long as you don't do it again,'
he said, tilting my head up to look at him again and looking at with me with a mock-stern expression and smiling when I giggled at him.
'There's my girl,' he said gently, 'I love you.'
'I promise,' I said, smiling up at him, 'kiss me?'
'You never need to ask sweetheart,' he said bringing his lips down to press against mine softly, both of us humming happily against each others lips.
Johnny Knoxville is the love of my life; that's something I know for sure, who cares what anyone else thinks.
