Caffeine Cold - Joe Trohman / Pete Wentz fanfic

7

Knowing there was more than enough space for her to have her own room, I still insisted Judai sleep in my room with me that night.

She had gotten home, showered and dried her hair. While she did that, I made us a meal and got us each a beer. She came out in sleep shorts and a tank top. Neither of us had ever been very self-conscious around one another but we'd never seen each other naked, although I had imagined it countless times in my head.

She looked smaller than she usually was, more fragile and weak in all senses of the word. "Honey, I made supper."

She thanked me and I got two bar stools up to the breakfast nook, where she took a seat at one of them. "When did you learn to cook?"

I snickered, "When you're a guy living on his own and you're used to mom's cooking, takeaways every night lose their appeal. I took a few lessons once when we had some time off."

She smiled and took a bite. "This is delicious Joe!"

I smiled back and we ate our meal in silence. When we were done, I took the dishes and packed them in the dishwasher then took our beers and an ashtray into the lounge. I lit us each a smoke and there was more silence. This was not my JudiPlum.

"Judai, talk to me."

"I'm in shock Joe. I'm sad, for Pete, for Bronx - a teenager who's confused about life enough already, Saint, a little boy who doesn't understand why his mommy left him, and for us. Someone who we've loved for years is gone."

I pulled her towards me, "We'll get through this honey. It won't be tomorrow, it won't be next week, it won't even be next month. But we will get through it."

She snuggled into my chest, discarding her beer and smoke and cried softly into my chest. I stroked her hair and held her, knowing nothing I would say could change the way things were right now for anyone. Soon, the tears stopped and her breathing had slowed. I looked down to find that she had cried herself to sleep.

I shifted enough to pick her up and she started coming around. "JoeJoe, I'm tired."

I kissed her lips tenderly, "I know honey. We can go to bed now."

I slipped her into bed and stripped down to my boxers and climbed in next to her. Immediately, she tangled up in my arms, again with her head resting on my chest and her hair cascading over her face. There were a few drops of wet tears against my chest but soon they dried, and we both drifted into a state of dreamless, exhausted sleep.