You sighed, staring at the clock as the minutes ticked by. The table was set, the candles flickered softly, and your favorite song played in the background. But the seat across from you was empty. Again. Joey had missed another date.You knew this was part of dating an actor like Joey Tribbiani. He was charming, funny, and always in demand, and sometimes, that meant getting caught up in the excitement of parties, especially when celebrities were involved. But tonight was supposed to be different. He promised. He'd said, "This time for sure, babe. I'm all yours." Yet here you were, alone, waiting for someone who wasn't going to show up.
Your phone buzzed, and for a moment, your heart leapt with hope. Maybe he was running late, maybe there was a good reason—
But it wasn't Joey. It was Monica.
Monica: Heard Joey's at some big party with the cast of some new movie. You okay?
You swallowed hard, closing your eyes for a moment. It hurt more than you wanted to admit, and a part of you wasn't even surprised. You typed back a quick response to Monica, thanking her for the heads-up, and then blew out the candles. The night was ruined.
Meanwhile, Joey was at the party, standing in a corner with a drink in hand. The room was packed with Hollywood faces, glitzy and glamorous, the kind of scene that Joey used to dream about. Beautiful women surrounded him, their laughter and flirtatious touches constant, but something felt off.
He tried to enjoy himself, telling jokes and playing the part of the charming actor, but his mind kept wandering. Every time someone laughed at one of his jokes, he remembered how your laugh sounded. Every time someone touched his arm, he thought of how your hand felt when it slid into his.
One of the women at the party, a stunning model, leaned in close, her perfume intoxicating, but even then, all he could think about was you. Where were you right now? Were you still waiting for him? Were you angry? Were you hurt?
Guilt gnawed at him. He had stood you up—again. You'd been so excited about tonight, and he'd promised you he wouldn't flake, but here he was, at some meaningless party, while you were probably sitting at home alone. He glanced at his phone, seeing missed texts from you earlier in the evening, asking where he was.
His heart sank.
He didn't want to be here. He wanted to be with you. It's always been you, he realized, the truth hitting him like a truck. All this time, he'd been chasing parties, fame, and attention, but the one person who really mattered was waiting for him at home.
Without a second thought, Joey bolted from the party, leaving confused looks behind him. He didn't care. All that mattered was getting to you.
It was raining when Joey finally made it to your apartment. His hair was soaked, and his clothes clung to him, but he barely noticed. He knocked on your door, loud and desperate.
"Y/N! Please, open up! I'm so sorry!" He knocked again, this time more frantically.
No response. He pulled out his phone, calling you, but it went straight to voicemail.
You weren't answering him. Maybe you had fallen asleep, or maybe—worse—he had hurt you too much this time. Joey cursed under his breath, running a hand through his wet hair. He couldn't leave. He wouldn't.
So he did the only thing he could think of: he sat down in front of your door, ignoring the rain pouring down on him, and waited.
Morning came too soon. You had fallen asleep, your heart still heavy from the night before. As your alarm went off, reminding you that you had work, you groaned and rolled out of bed, trying to shake off the disappointment that still clung to you.
You grabbed your bag and opened the door, ready to head out, but the sight in front of you stopped you in your tracks.
Joey was sitting slumped against your doorframe, soaked to the bone, his head resting against the wall. His eyes were closed, and his hair was dripping wet, strands clinging to his forehead. He looked miserable, like he hadn't slept all night.
You stood there, stunned. "Joey?" you called out softly.
His eyes fluttered open, and the second he saw you, he bolted upright, his expression a mixture of relief and desperation. "Y/N! I'm so sorry—"
"Joey, what are you doing here?" you interrupted, your voice sharp. You were still angry, still hurt. Seeing him like this didn't change that.
He ran a hand through his hair, rain still dripping down his face. "I... I messed up. I know I did. I missed our date, and I shouldn't have. I left you alone, and I broke my promise. I was at that stupid party, and all I could think about was you."
You crossed your arms, trying to keep your cool. "You think sitting outside my door all night in the rain makes up for that?"
"No," he said quickly, shaking his head. "I know it doesn't. I know I've hurt you, Y/N, but please, just hear me out."
You raised an eyebrow, silently waiting.
Joey swallowed hard, looking at you with those pleading, soulful eyes that made it hard to stay mad at him. "I've been an idiot. I've been chasing all these things—parties, attention, all of it—when the only thing that really matters is you. I couldn't stop thinking about you last night, and that's when I realized... it's you. It's always been you."
Your heart clenched at his words, but you kept your guard up. "Joey, you've said that before. And then you go off to the next big party or event and leave me behind. I don't know if I can keep doing this."
He stepped closer, his voice filled with urgency. "I know, and I don't expect you to forgive me just like that. But I love you, Y/N. I love you, and I don't want anyone else. You're the person I want to be with, not some random women at parties, not anyone else—just you. I'll prove it to you. I'll make it up to you, I swear."
You stared at him for a long moment, feeling torn. You could see how genuine he was, how much he meant it. The old Joey—the one who ran from real feelings—was gone. But the hurt from last night, from all the times he'd let you down, still lingered.
"I don't know, Joey," you said softly. "You really hurt me. I was waiting for you last night, and you weren't there. Again."
He winced at your words, his guilt written all over his face. "I know. I'm sorry, Y/N. I can't say it enough. But please, give me another chance. I'll do better this time. I'll be the guy you deserve."
You bit your lip, torn between wanting to believe him and protecting yourself from being hurt again. But then you looked at him—soaked and shivering, having spent the entire night in the rain just to prove how much he cared—and your heart softened.
You sighed, shaking your head with a small, exasperated smile. "You're such an idiot, Joey."
He blinked, confused for a second. "Is that... a good thing?"
You laughed, despite everything. "I can't believe you sat out here all night."
"I would've stayed forever if that's what it took," he said, smiling sheepishly.
You rolled your eyes but couldn't help the warmth that spread through your chest. "You're lucky I love you, Tribbiani."
His eyes lit up, and he took another step forward. "You love me?"
You shook your head, still smiling. "Yeah, I do. I've loved you this whole time. That's why it hurts so much when you miss things like last night."
Joey's face softened, and he reached out, gently taking your hand in his. "I love you, Y/N. And I'm going to spend the rest of my life proving that to you. I promise."
You let out a deep breath, feeling the weight of the hurt lift just a little. "Alright, Joey. One more chance. But you better not screw it up."
His grin was wide and full of joy as he pulled you into a hug, holding you tight against him. "I won't. I swear."
As you stood there, wrapped in his arms, you let yourself believe him—this time, it felt different. This time, it felt real.

YOU ARE READING
Multifandom X Reader Stories
FanfictionNew Book of all my Tumblr Imagines!! Contains so many fandoms, please engage and tell me your thoughts!