Joe sighed and rolled his neck as he stood in the tunnel waiting for the two teams to be called out to the pitch before the game started.
He knew his girlfriend, her parents and his parents were watching him and he wanted to do them proud but he wasn't really interested in this World Cup like he had been others.
***
Isabelle grinned as she listened to Charles talk about Joe as a child. He sounded like a very hyperactive child and she didn't get how he went from that to being her boring boyfriend now.
"He never stopped," Louise mused as she watched her little boy walking on to the pitch and looking straight up to the box to find his girlfriend and smiled when he eventually did.
"What did you do to him?" Louise teased as she watched the brunette looking down at her son. She always knew her son would find love she just didn't think he'd find such a loving girl.
"Pardon?" Isabelle asked making Louise laugh softly as she watched the worried brunette. She hadn't done anything wrong, it was all right in Louise's books.
"He hasn't so much as looked at another girl since he saw you. I'm just wondering how you managed to make him so attached," Louise teased making Isabelle smile softly as she watched her boyfriend position himself in between the goal posts.
Isabelle smiled at Joe as he smiled back up at her. He looked amazing in his tight football kit and she couldn't wait to see him when the tournament was over.
***
Isabelle smiled as she stepped into her hotel room after saying goodnight to her parents and Joe's parents. England had lost the game by a goal and she knew Joe was beating himself up about it.
Joe had played really well and an Italian player had just managed to score from a far enough distance and Joe had tried to save it but just missed it.
Isabelle turned to look at the desk in her hotel room as her laptop started ringing with Joe's name on screen making her smile as she sat down and pressed accept.
"Hi," Isabelle said as she watched Joe on the other side of the screen. They both missed each other a lot and even though he was only three floors away from her, he was shut up in his hotel room.
"Hey... I'm guessing you're in your hotel room then," Joe mused making his girlfriend nod as he smiled at her and closed the laptop making his girlfriend frown before there was a knock on her door.
Isabelle got up and moved towards it, she wondered who could be there; she wasn't expecting anyone tonight even though she knew some of the teams WAGs.
"Joe," the brunette whispered as she opened the door and he stepped inside kissing her lips eagerly as the door shut behind him.
The goalkeeper quickly set down his laptop and lifted his girlfriend on to his waist while moving towards the bed and setting her down.
"How did you get out?" Isabelle asked knowing the coach had eyes watching the team like a hawk so they couldn't leave to go see their families.
"Steven Gerrard and I told him we were going to get a couple of more hours worth of practice and he's next door with Alex," Joe said as his girlfriend hugged him close.
The couple hadn't seen each other in two weeks since Joe has left for national team training before the tournament started and it had been a long two weeks without each other.
"I missed you so much," Joe whispered as he kissed his girlfriends neck. He had wanted to try and wait until the tournament was over to see his girlfriend but that had proven to be too hard when he saw her at the match.
"I missed you too," Isabelle whispered as Joe started to undress the brunette and kiss her softly while she removed his training gear.
Joe kissed his girlfriend knowing that he'd be gone when she woke up but he wanted to make her enjoy their first night together in awhile.
***
Joe sighed as he watched his girlfriend sleep while he got ready to leave knowing he and Steven had agreed on this time to head back up.
Joe kissed his girlfriend again before he walked out of the room with his laptop and quietly closed the door as he looked at Steven who was waiting for him.
The Scouser felt bad for Joe knowing he's never had to experience being away from his loved one during tournaments like this; he hadn't loved his last girlfriend this much.
Joe sighed as the elevator doors closed and he let his head hit the wall as he looked up at the ceiling wanting the tournament to be over so he could be with his girlfriend again.
